


A Meeting in the Woods

by megsblackfire



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Parents, M/M, Modern AU, Older Jack, PTSD, Reaper76 Big Bang, Young Gabriel, age gap, wet dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-01 03:43:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15765900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: Jack went into the woods to escape his life and keep from hurting the ones he loved. There was no way to control himself when the memories came back and he would have never forgiven himself if he’d hurt the ones he loved. A chance encounter with a young man and the bear chasing him changes everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo, my submission for the Reaper76 2018 Big Bang! This was a lot of fun to write and I got paired up with the amazing Hinokit. Her big beefy boys are just the best!
> 
> So, strap in and enjoy the ride!

Gabriel ran as fast as he could, his lungs burning with every step he took. He could hear the grizzly chasing after him, its own ragged breath filling his ears. He couldn’t remember how he’d managed to piss the massive animal off, but he’d done it and now it wanted his ass. He vaulted a log in his path and slid down a hill, doing his best not to scream as trunks rushed by him. He didn’t die, somehow, but the grizzly bear was right behind him. There was no time to enjoy his weird good luck at not dying.

He stumbled forward as soon as his feet hit dirt, scrambling for purchase, and he felt the bear’s paw swipe above his head. He screamed, dropping onto his belly and trying to claw his way forward. He felt claws grab for his jeans, digging in just enough to tear, and he rolled over. He kicked out, slamming his heel into the bear’s nose.

It backed up a few steps, huffing angrily. He hadn’t hit it very hard, but a nose was a nose. Anything would hurt if it hit just right. Gabriel scrambled backwards as fast as he could, panting fearfully as he stared at the massive, furry beast. Even with his momentary reprieve, the beast was already twisting around to glare at him.

The bear roared and lunged. Huge claws seemed to gleam in the air above his head. Saliva swung in thick ropes from the bear’s teeth, dripping off of its massive tongue. Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his hands up helplessly to protect his face.

A gunshot ripped through the air and Gabriel screamed. His eyes snapped open and he watched the bear flop to the ground. Frothy blood was dribbling out of its mouth as it clawed miserably at the ground. The shot was deadly, but not enough to kill it outright. If he didn’t move his ass, that beast could still kill him with its final breath.

Gabriel scrambled away quickly as someone emerged from the brush. The massive man fired his rifle again, putting the bullet directly between the beast’s eyes. It gave a painful flinch before lying still, its huge tongue lolling out of its jaws. The man turned towards Gabriel and narrowed impossibly blue eyes. Gabriel stared at him before he felt himself start to shudder. He sucked in air before he flopped backwards onto the forest floor and started crying.

“Get it out of your system, kid,” the mountain man growled as he walked over. “You were damn lucky I was here. Pissing of a fucking Grizzly; what were you thinking?”

Gabriel nodded his head and blubbered out a thank you. He heard the man walk over to him and crouch down before big fingers pushed through his hair, roughly offering comfort that Gabriel found oddly soothing. Those big fingers seemed to be made to be rough and gentle at the same time.

Slowly, he sat up and stared at the man. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone as beautiful and rugged before. The man’s eyes were a deep, beautiful blue and framed by golden blond lashes. His eyebrows were considerably darker than the golden blond hair swept back over his head, but it looked shockingly impressive. His whole jaw was dominated by a thick, beautiful golden beard that looked like it had been trimmed recently. There were shots of white running through the beard and growing in around the man’s temples, but they highlighted the blond rather than make him look old.

The man was massive, too. He was the kind of man that could have wrestled that bear to the ground without breaking a sweat. His arms and legs were huge, his body stocky, and his jaw so beautifully square that he should have been the model for a sport’s magazine. His nose also looked like it had been broken at least twice in his life, not quite hawkish, but definitely prominent and crooked.

If this man said that Gabriel owed him his life, he wouldn’t argue. He wouldn’t mind living with the man for the rest of time.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.”

“Did you go near her cub?” the man demanded. “Because now we have a dead bear and up to two dead cubs.”

Gabriel shook his head. “No. If I did, I never saw it,” he said. “I…I didn’t mean to even be out here! I just…I just…!”

“Shut up,” the man snorted roughly. “I believe you, kid. On your feet and help me gut the bear.”

“W-why?” Gabriel asked as he blinked at the man.

“I don’t kill anything and leave it to rot,” the man said before he got to his feet. “Your pretty boy ass ever clean anything other than your silver spoon?”

“Wow, rude,” Gabriel frowned as he got to his feet. “What makes you think I’m a privileged man?”

“I’m old, not stupid,” the man snorted before pointing at his clothing. “That shit is expensive. Unless, of course, you stole it. Which would be damn stupid to wear out in the woods where it would get ruined immediately.”

“I didn’t,” Gabriel deflated immediately and sighed. “And yah, I come from money. No, I’ve never cleaned an animal before.”

“Learning experience,” the man snorted before the rolled the bear onto its side. “Come here.”

Gabriel walked forward and immediately scrambled backwards. He threw up as the man sliced the bear’s belly open. His throat burned as the bear’s intestines flopped like hot, wriggly noodles onto the ground. The man gave no sign that the sight or smell affected him, slicing through the gory mess without so much as flinching. Gabriel threw up again, putting his hands on his knees to keep himself balanced.

“Here,” the man grunted as he held out the bear’s heart. “Eat that.”

“Why? I’m not putting that near my mouth!” Gabriel yelped.

The man shrugged with a soft chuckle before he bit into the heart like an apple. “Suit yourself.”

Gabriel felt his knees give out under him and managed to roll at the last second away from the pile of his stomach contents. He sprawled out on his back, staring up at the blue sky overhead while the man continued eating the heart and gutting the bear. Who was this mountain man that he had stumbled across and was he safer with the bear that had been trying to kill him?

He was starting to think that the bear might have been the lesser of two evils. What person cut open a bear and ate its heart like it was an apple?!

“You done being a kid?” the man asked as he got to his feet. “We gotta get this carcass out of here before any animal shows up for freebees.”

“How are we going to haul a seven hundred pound bear carcass back to your house?” Gabriel demanded.

“Most of the guts are gone; it makes the carcass lighter,” the man grunted. “Grab the back end.”

Gabriel got to his feet and grabbed hold of the massive hind legs. He and his savior hauled the carcass up between them and started into the forest. Gabriel was panting in no time, too scared to ask for a moment to regain his breath. The man didn’t seem to be suffering under the weight; Gabriel didn’t want to seem weaker in the man’s eye than he already was. He clearly didn’t like city boys and didn’t think much of Gabriel being out here.

It was bad enough that this man thought he was useless. He didn’t want to think about what one little request for rest would do to his already terrible image. Would the man laugh at him? Sneer that he was useless? He’d rather never find out.

The trek through the forest took a long time, but eventually, they emerged into a small clearing. A squat, two-story cottage was sitting in the middle, looking a little like a turtle. Gabriel pursed his lips in surprise and almost stumbled as the man continued to walk towards it.

“You make that all by yourself?” he asked as he nodded towards the cottage.

“Had some help from a few friends,” the man grunted as they reached the side of the cottage. They dumped the carcass onto the ground beside the cottage and immediately stretched. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

“It’s impressive,” Gabriel said. “You’re impressive.”

The man let out a soft chuckle before he rubbed at his blond and white beard. “Haven’t been out of the city much, have you, kid?” he asked.

“My name’s Gabriel,” he frowned. “And I’m twenty three.”

“Ooh, so old,” the man rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’re just a walking trove of wisdom.”

“And you’re an asshole,” Gabriel frowned. “Hot. But an asshole.”

The man gave him a flat look before he started skinning the bear. “Get inside before I forget why I saved you, Gabriel,” he said. “And I’m Jack.”

“Jack. Got it,” Gabriel huffed before he stomped off towards the cottage.

Stupid, sexy asshole.

* * *

 

Jack took his time skinning and cleaning the bear. He didn’t like that he had to shoot a Grizzly; they were pretty peaceful so long as you didn’t startle them or go after their cubs; but he valued human lives more. Even if the kid probably caused the bear to chase after him because of his own stupidity, he’d still save the kid if it happened again. He reached up to push his hair out of his face, smearing a bit of blood across his forehead.

Blood on his hands; blood on his face. Wasn’t anything new for him, really. He was way too used to blood.

He sighed heavily before he started cutting the bear meat into chunks. Most of it would get ground up and made into patties, sausages, and meatballs, but he would make some jerky too. He could make a nice coat out of the pelt, something to keep warm with during the upcoming winter. The bones and everything else would take some time to figure out what to do with, but he wasn’t worried. Waste not, want not and all that.

He glanced towards the window, wondering what his unexpected guest was doing. A young man like that shouldn’t have been out in the forest. He was improperly dressed for it, looking more like he was ready to go partying rather than hiking through the bush. Wrong shoes, torn jeans, a shirt that was just a little too tight to allow for full range of motion, and no sign of any sort of survival gear. The kid had been unprepared, managed to blunder upon a Grizzly, and almost got torn apart.

He rubbed at his face, trying to think about the current situation in as clear a way that he could. He knew how many people believed in coincidence and he liked to think that, sometimes, weird shit just happened. He didn’t have any enemies, so no one would try to trick him into trusting someone that would try to kill him. Besides, it wasn’t like killing some old man in the woods would get anyone any sort of closure. Hell, he was living out in the forest and he barely felt like he had any closure with his life.

So why was the boy out here? This was a far cry from the city or any sort of publically available campsite. Perhaps his family, his wealthy family, had property not far away and he’d gone and gotten his foolish ass lost? That would stand to reason; closest road was a few hour’s trek and he believed that there were houses somewhere in the more picturesque part of the mountain range. Jack personally preferred the flatter area as opposed to the mountains, but he could understand why anyone would rather have a place up there than in the trees.

So, if the kid had a place somewhere else, why was he down here running away from a bear? A Grizzly wouldn’t chase him that far, especially not through heavily treed areas. They were fast fuckers, but they needed open territory to really shine. The kid would have had to be relatively close to the cottage to get chased like that. So, again, what was he doing out here?

Jack let out a curious hum as he hung the pelt up to dry, tightening it to the rack he had specifically for tanning. He scraped the fleshy part of the pelt, getting as much of the gore off as he could while it was still wet. He tightened the wires holding the pelt taunt and backed away to start mulching up the meat for storage later.

His eyes kept moving back towards the window, wondering what the kid was up to in there. He wasn’t worried; he really didn’t have anything worth stealing; but he was curious. What did a city-kid do when they were suddenly exposed to anything rustic and a little old fashioned? Part of him wished he was in there to laugh at the indignant expression on the kid’s face when he realized what Jack had in his possession.

Still, he had to finish up his duties outside before he tried to do anything else. He wanted everything locked up behind his cellar doors before the sun set. That would keep all the beasties away, at least. Something he was sure the kid would appreciate.


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel scrubbed furiously at the pot he had cooked supper in. The horrible burn mark on the bottom wasn’t coming off, something that taunted him mercilessly. He hadn’t meant to burn the bottom of the pot; he just wasn’t used to whatever old-fashioned stove was in Jack’s house. He was used to his family’s top-of-the-line stove and oven that never let him burn anything because of how consistent the heating was and how evenly distributed that heat was. Whatever this stove was and from whatever bygone era it had been made in, it was not that good.

But, he thought as he glanced at the table with a grin, it certainly didn’t stop him from making a wicked supper for his hot, ornery savior.  The man deserved to have a nice meal cooked for him after saving Gabriel’s ass. Personally, Gabriel didn’t believe in miracles, but how else did he account for Jack randomly being exactly where he needed to be to stop Gabriel from being torn to shreds? If that wasn’t a miracle, he didn’t know what was.

“Hey,” he called as he heard the door to the cottage open. “I hate your stove. It’s a piece of shit!”

“It works fine, city boy,” Jack called. “You just have to actually watch what you’re cooking. And it smells like heaven, by the way. What the hell did you make?”

“Three bean tomato chicken pasta soup,” Gabriel grinned. “A little on the burned side, sorry.”

“You…made me supper?” Jack asked. “Figured you’d have just made it for yourself.”

“Dude, I raided your fridge to get everything,” Gabriel shook his head. “You get first dibs on the food.”

“Dude?” Jack smirked as he headed for the bathroom. “What era are you from, kid?”

“Obviously not the same one as you, old man,” he stuck his tongue out in the direction of the bathroom. “And how do you have so much modern shit in this place?”

“What, you think because I live in the bush that I don’t like modern amenities?” Jack asked as he walked into the kitchen drying his face. “Got a friend of mine to help me get the solar panels all set up. He thought I was crazy being out here too.”

Gabriel shook his head in agreement. Jack had such a fancy setup out here that the place could have belonged in the suburbs rather than in the middle of ass-fuck nowhere. It was amazing and a little confusing.

Jack settled down at the table and immediately dug into the soup. He let out an appreciative noise before he started spooning as much soup into his mouth as he could. Gabriel grinned as he set the finally scoured clean pot in the drip tray. He couldn’t believe how eager Jack was to eat his food. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Mmm, that was amazing, Gabriel,” Jack groaned as he leaned back in his seat. “Where did you learn to cook like that?”

“My parents,” Gabriel smiled as he walked over with his own bowl. “Glad you liked it.”

Jack licked his lips. “Would have been even better with some hard-crust bread,” he mused as he leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “But I don’t have a bread oven. And it’s just not the same when you make it in a regular oven.”

“I could always try tomorrow,” Gabriel shrugged. “I do owe you.”

“What?” Jack looked at him before shifting upright. “You aren’t staying here past tonight.”

“What?” Gabriel blinked. “But…why?”

Jack stared at him. “Kid, I live out here alone because I don’t like people,” he said. “This isn’t a tourist shack. I don’t have room for another soul out here. Besides, I’m sure your folks are worried about you.”

Gabriel opened his mouth before he looked away. He chewed on his lip, feeling tears burning his eyes. He shouldn’t have been surprised, really, considering how cold Jack had been to him when they first met, but it still stung to know the man didn’t want him around. He’d saved Gabriel’s life and was ready to toss him out as soon as the new dawn came.

“I…don’t want to go back,” Gabriel whispered.

“If you say ‘because they don’t understand me’, I will kick your ass,” Jack growled.

“They don’t,” Gabriel snapped. “They want me to be a lawyer like Mom, but I…I’m not…I don’t want to.”

Jack narrowed his eyes and Gabriel glared at the table. He wasn’t smart enough; he knew that. He wouldn’t be able to pass the entrance exam to get into Law School and he wouldn’t enjoy practicing it in a firm anyways. It just wasn’t him. Sure, the money was great, but there was more to life than just money and acquiring a shit ton of things. He could never learn to love law the way his mother did.

Acting and fashion, though? Now there was where his heart lay. There was nothing as amazing to him as walking onto the stage and adopting a new persona. He was good at it; Hell, he excelled at it. He could mesmerize a crowd with his voice and movements, drawing them into whatever tale he was a part of. It was a kind of magic that just existed in the world and he was fortunate enough to be able to tap into it.

And clothing; how could he not love designing clothing? There was so much freedom. Sure, there was a basic design you had to follow, but outside of that, he could do anything he wanted. It was amazing! He could make something that was a skirt or a tube top and no one would know until they decided to wear it one way over the other! He could design jeans that didn’t hang off of someone’s ass and actually hugged the way it was supposed to. He could make a jacket that was both fashionable and durable. There was so much freedom at his fingertips!

“So if you don’t want to do what your parents say, what are you after?” Jack asked with a surprisingly gentle voice.

“Something without any real money in it,” Gabriel sighed. “Or, at least, it’s incredibly difficult to get started and actually make money.”

“Such as?”

“Acting,” Gabriel waved a hand. “Or fashion.”

“Ah,” Jack frowned and rubbed at his jaw. “Yes, those would be difficult things to get started with, but not impossible. If I were to be giving advice, I’d say keep them as side projects until you get a reasonable clientele.”

“Yah, ‘cept I need money for that,” Gabriel sighed. “No way my parents will invest in it. They’re too…practical.”

“Not always a bad trait,” Jack shrugged. “But it explains why you’re up here in the boonies. Trying to find yourself?”

“Something like that,” Gabriel sighed as he looked down at his soup. “Maybe I should go for culinary.”

“I’d vouch for you,” Jack smiled as he got to his feet and carried his bowl to the sink. “Haven’t eaten anything like that in a while. I’m not the most creative guy around so it’s usually just steak and potatoes for supper.”

Gabriel smiled at Jack’s broad back. What he wouldn’t give at that moment to sidle up behind him and put his face between those big muscles. Jack was a fucking bear of a man and probably just as hairy under all of that clothing; his arms and face were certainly covered in fine, golden hair. He shivered a little at the thought of what else would be golden blond under those clothes.

“Well,” he mused, “I could create more interesting meals for you. If you let me stay.”

Jack’s shoulders drooped and he turned around to level a glare at him. “No,” he said sternly. “I’ll walk you back to your parents’ cottage and then you’re staying there.”

“Please?” Gabriel asked. “I’d learn more from you!”

“You don’t want to be around a man like me,” Jack shook his head. “I can’t teach you anything useful, kid.”

“Really? Because you skinned a bear and gutted it,” Gabriel snorted. “You built a log cabin and gave it two stories. You live out in the middle of nowhere and aren’t suffering for it. I think I could learn a lot from you.”

“Nothing that would help you in the real world,” Jack said. “What good is knowing how to skin a bear when you’re never going to be out here roughing it? No, you need to go home. Where you belong.”

Gabriel let out a bitter laugh. “Belong. That’s a fucking joke,” he snapped.

Jack stared him down before making a motion with his hand. “You’re going home and that’s final,” he said before he turned and walked away.

Gabriel stared after him, feeling his throat close up. Great. So the one person that could probably help him figure out what the fuck he was supposed to be doing with his life didn’t want him around. Wasn’t that just fucking typical? Every time he thought maybe, just maybe, he was getting his shit together and had a chance for something relatively sane, his plans fell apart. He had to stop getting his hopes up on dreams as stupid as his brain cooked up.

He ate his meal in silence, glaring down at the cooling soup. He was half-tempted to dump it all down the drain and going to bed without dinner. But he kept spooning mouthful after mouthful into his mouth, gritting his teeth after each swallow.

“Don’t have a guest bedroom,” Jack called suddenly.

Gabriel jumped and coughed, choking on his soup. He beat his chest and leaned forward, spitting what had been in his mouth back into the bowl as he coughed. He squinted up at Jack, feeling tears trickle down his face. Jack’s blue eyes were wide in surprise and he hurried over, setting the blankets down on the table.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Gabriel coughed again and shook his head. “‘M fine,” he gagged out.

“You sure?” Jack asked before he rubbed soothing circles into Gabriel’s back. “That was a pretty bad coughing fit.”

“Well, soup went down the wrong hole,” Gabriel shrugged as he did his best not to lean into the big, warm hand on his back. “Got it all out, though. So it’s all good.”

“Don’t think you’ll be wanting that anymore,” Jack grimaced as he picked up Gabriel’s bowl. “Not with all the snot in it.”

“Yah,” Gabriel grimaced.

He leaned forward and rubbed at his face as he heard the faucet turn on. He glanced up as Jack returned and gestured towards the bedsheets.

“No spare bedroom but spare sheets?” he asked.

“I change my sheets regularly,” Jack shook his head as he picked the sheets back up. “Come on; I’ll help you get the couch set up for the night.”

Gabriel followed him, reaching out to take a sheet. They got the couch set up fairly quickly. Turned out, it was a pull-out couch. The mattress was a little thin and raggedy, but it was better than nothing. Gabriel flopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, inhaling slowly.

“Not bad,” he murmured. “Should be good for a night.”

“It should,” Jack agreed. “We’ll head out tomorrow morning after a decent breakfast. It’ll probably take most of the day, so I’ll spend the night at your cottage before heading back.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gabriel murmured. “If you don’t mind babysitting me, of course.”

“I’ve had to look after a lot worse than you, kid,” Jack chuckled. “Get some rest. You’ve had a rough day.”

“Tell me about it,” Gabriel said before he yanked his shirt off over his head.

He tossed the shirt over the back of the couch and sprawled out. Jack left without a word, heading upstairs to wherever his bedroom no doubt was. Gabriel lifted his head to watch Jack’s socks vanish up the stairs before he flopped back down onto the bed.

What was it that Olivia called him? A gay disaster when it came to men he found attractive? For once, he had to agree with her. He was a gay disaster for a handsome mountain man that probably thought he was the biggest pussy to ever live. Yay.

* * *

 

Jack sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the rug between his feet. His toes were digging deep into the gray shag rug, moving the soft material around. He couldn’t pull his mind away from the young man on his couch. Hadn’t he been like that as a young man, so desperate to be his own person but having no clue how to go about doing it?

His answer had been the army, but he would never, ever send Gabriel there. It would tear him apart, break down his will and happiness, and leave him in the same miserable, broken state that Jack was in. He would never recommend it to anyone. Maybe if there were fewer people ready to throw their lives away for a war that never should have existed, there wouldn’t be so much bloodshed.

But how could he help Gabriel without letting the kid stay with him? Because the kid did not belong out in the forest. So many people his age liked to thumb their nose at the younger generation for never getting back to nature, but he understood that not everyone felt comfortable out here. It was dangerous and just expecting that some kid from the city who was used to a certain type of life would be fine in the bush was stupid. Hell, he wasn’t even that great when he first got out here and he grew up in the rural part of the Bloomington municipality.

He wanted to help the kid, he really did. He knew how big and scary the world was at the tender age of twenty three. He knew how much pressure people put on you to do something with your life, as if expecting you to know what the hell you wanted to do when you were only just getting used to making decisions for yourself. It was horrible to tell an eighteen year old to choose something that they’re going to do for the rest of their life; they hadn’t had enough experience to know what they’re going to want to do in five years, let alone a lifetime.

So what did he do? Give Gabriel worthless sage advice? Tell him that everything would work itself out? What sort of idiot would believe that from a man that was hiding away in the woods? Because Jack’s life certainly wasn’t something to aspire to. He was alone in the woods because he couldn’t bear to be amongst people anymore. He couldn’t run the risk of hurting anyone, of suffering from his illness and accidentally hurting someone he loved. He could never forgive himself if he hurt his parents or his friends.

So what did he do? He let out a long sigh and slowly twisted himself around to lie down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, counting the rings in the wood in the hopes of making his brain sluggish so he could sleep. Not that sleep would help him much. The nightmares would probably wake him up; he hoped that the kid wouldn’t be disturbed if they did.

He reached up and rubbed his forehead, sighing heavily. His scars were aching tonight, reminding him that he was being held together by bitterness and stubbornness. How he wasn’t a jumble of broken bones lying at the bottom of the stairs, he didn’t know. Sheer dumb luck, maybe?

He leaned his head back into the pillow and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on his breathing, trying to calm himself down. It was harder than normal, but finally, he slowly drifted off. His dreams were mercifully peaceful and not full of blood.

He woke to the soft sound of rain on the roof. He smiled a little before closing his eyes again. Looked like the kid was going to be staying longer after all. That would make him happy.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Jack called as he set plates down on the table. “Breakfast is ready.”

He heard the kid whine from the living room before he heard the mattress creaking. He watched the young man wander over, rubbing at his dark eyes. They widened a little as they landed on the mound of eggs and bacon waiting for him.

“Oh wow,” he murmured before he sat down. “I was expecting something like porridge.”

“Nah,” Jack chuckled as he sat down and set a glass of orange juice down in front of him. “That’s winter fare. During the summer, I like to keep a varied diet while I can.”

“So,” Gabriel poked at his meal before he started slowly eating, “do you get snowed in during the winter?”

“I do,” Jack admitted. “I fill the larders to the best of my abilities, but I do go hunting if I have to. I just can’t get into town to get fresh fruits and veggies. I try to freeze as much as I can.”

“Sounds like a lot of work,” Gabriel said.

“It is,” Jack shrugged a shoulder. “No different than trying to get enough harvest in before winter set in. It isn’t easy.”

Jack started shoveling food into his mouth to avoid answering further. He didn’t want to admit that he went hungry some winters. He had to be so careful with his food stores that he often spent nights listening to his stomach rumble and ache for food. He didn’t want the kid to think that he was useless and unable to care for himself when he clearly thought Jack was some sort of superhero.

“How…hard is it to survive up here?” Gabriel asked softly.

“Very hard,” Jack sighed as he cleaned his mouth. “If I…you don’t want to be up here in the winter trying to live off the land.”

Gabriel watched him for a moment before smiling sadly. “You’re lucky to be alive, huh?” he asked. “Fuck, you’re a tough old man.”

“Not even forty,” Jack grumbled as he rubbed at his chin. “But yes. I’m a survivor. Don’t have much of a choice.”

Gabriel smiled before he tapped his fork against his plate. “So…could you teach me how to survive on my own? Since we can’t exactly go trotting off into the forest while it’s raining.”

Jack smirked as he polished off his plate. “Well, what would you like to learn about?”

* * *

 

Gabriel did his best not to gag as he scraped at the fleshy part of the bear pelt. The smell wasn’t terrible, but the sight made his stomach clench. He glanced at Jack, watching the big man put the dried meat from the dehydrator into special bags. Most of the mulched bear meat was already packaged and ready to go into cold storage.

“So,” he licked his lips slowly. “How long’ve you been up here?”

Jack glanced at him, blond eyebrows lifting. “About five years,” he said. “Give or take a few months.”

“That’s a long time to be on your own,” Gabriel commented as he returned to his scraping. “You lonely?”

“Gabriel,” Jack’s voice held a gentle warning.

He was giving Gabriel the chance to back down with dignity. It was a gesture that Gabriel was appreciative of since he had accidentally stuffed his foot down his throat. He had no idea where the line was with this guy and at least he didn’t get furious when Gabriel accidentally pole-vaulted it.

“Just asking. Trying to make conversation,” Gabriel said quickly. “I don’t know how you can stand the silence for that long. I feel like I did something to piss you off.”

“I’m a hard man to piss off,” Jack chuckled. “And I’d let you know if you had, trust me on that. You could sing if you wanted to alleviate the silence.”

Gabriel let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Yah, like anyone wants to hear this bullfrog sing.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, Gabriel; no one will hear you sing but me,” Jack teased. “And I sing Country.”

Gabriel looked at him in horror. Jack let out a snort of laughter and leaned against the railing of his porch, grinning at Gabriel before he squinted up at the gray sky. Gabriel followed his gaze and stared up at the rainclouds.

It was a light drizzle, not enough to be cold, but enough to get everything thoroughly soaked. It would have been terrible to go for a walk in this weather. He didn’t have a jacket or anything to keep the rain off of him and he didn’t think he’d be a happy camper after a few hours of sloshing through soaked grass. At least it made for nice white noise.

He let out a soft sigh before he looked at the pelt. He tightened the cords, making sure the skin was still taunt, before getting to his feet and stretching. He glanced towards Jack, who was still staring up at the sky, and let out another soft sigh.

“Hey, all done here,” he said. “I’m going to head inside. You good with that?”

“Of course; I’m almost done here,” Jack said. “I should have a few decks of cards lying around if you want to do something.”

“Don’t suppose you knit?” Gabriel asked.

“A little,” Jack admitted. “But there isn’t a whole lot of yarn left. Go check the hall closet.”

Gabriel nodded before heading inside. He found the knitting supplies and decided that there was more than enough there to keep him entertained for the evening. He settled down on the bed, folding his legs under him as he started knitting a pair of socks. The simple task helped alleviate some of his anxiety, letting his mind wander to other things that did not matter all that much.

“Doesn’t take you long to get going,” Jack commented as he walked in with the last of the meat to be frozen.

“I like keeping busy,” Gabriel shrugged a shoulder. “You don’t mind?”

“Nah,” Jack replied as he got out a deck of cards. “Do whatever you have to so you don’t go insane.”

They lapsed into silence where the only sound in the cottage was the rain on the roof and windows, the soft tapping of the knitting needles, and the faint slap of a card being dealt, flipped, or moved. Gabriel tried to focus on his work, but his eyes kept sliding to Jack.

The man was watching the cards in front of him, thick fingers and knuckles carefully flipping one card at a time as he played some variation of solitaire. His blue eyes were focused and soft, framed by pale lashes and darkening eyebrows. Gabriel hadn’t noticed it earlier, but Jack had two faint scars on his face; one above his lip that bisected the top and one that ran from one eyebrow to the opposite cheek, cutting across his nose. They were old scars, but Gabriel couldn’t stop wondering where he had gotten them.

Jack shifted in his chair and his blue eyes flicked up towards Gabriel. He couldn’t look away, no matter how much his face was burning in mortification over getting caught staring. He managed a weak smile and Jack returned it with one that made him look younger. Gabriel’s stomach dropped out of his body and he immediately went back to his knitting, fumbling with his needles as he tried to remember where the hell he had been.

“Careful,” Jack called. “Don’t want you to stab yourself.”

“I’ve never stabbed myself while knitting,” Gabriel huffed.

“I have; hurts like a bitch,” Jack laughed. “You looking at the scars?”

Gabriel winced. “Sorry.”

“They’re hard to miss once you realize they’re there,” Jack replied. “I don’t mind you asking, Gabriel. The story isn’t all that interesting, either way.”

“What, you fall off a tractor?” Gabriel teased.

“Nah, had an IED blow up beside me and the shrapnel sliced my face up,” Jack said. “They were picking pieces of metal out of my face for a few hours. Got a month’s leave back home so it’d clean up nice. Takes a lot of make-up to keep the worst of the redness down.”

Gabriel’s head snapped around. “You’re wearing make-up?” he demanded.

“Just concealer and foundation,” Jack shrugged. “The redness freaks me out.”

“You’re in the middle of nowhere and you wear make-up?” Gabriel demanded. “Why?”

“Like I said, the redness freaks me out,” Jack frowned. “What, you’re the one knitting like a grandma right now but I’m the weirdo for wearing make-up?”

“Who’s going to see your scar?!” Gabriel shouted.

“Me, every time I look in the mirror,” Jack huffed. “Let me have my vice. It’s probably the least offensive one in existence. And no, you can’t use any; wrong colour for your skin, anyways.”

Gabriel shook his head before he looked back at his work. “Getting those scars from an IED is pretty interesting,” he murmured. “You’re a soldier?”

“Was,” Jack agreed. “Honourable discharge due to some injuries that I’ve since recovered from. Also a good way for them to get me to keep my mouth shut about the shit they did wrong to get me blown up.”

“You were blown up?” Gabriel stared.

“I’m not talking about it,” Jack replied with a faint growl. “Get your ass over here; I’m teaching you double solitaire.”

* * *

 

“So, that’s fifteen-two?” Gabriel asked as he counted his cards.

“Yup,” Jack smirked as Gabriel moved his peg along the cribbage board. “You’re getting the hang of this.”

“Yah,” Gabriel smiled.

Jack collected the cards and shuffled them. It was nice to have a companion out here. He’d really been alone for too long, but he knew he couldn’t go back. No one was looking for him; not anymore, anyways. His parents had long since accepted that he wasn’t ever going to come home. He was just…too dangerous.

“What’re your parents like?” Gabriel asked as he sorted his cards.

“Amazing,” Jack smiled. “We didn’t have a whole lot while I was growing up, but there was always food on the table and presents on my birthday. I was a blessed kid.”

“Nice,” Gabriel smiled. “I’m glad. I’d hate to hear that your parents were shit.”

“Me too,” Jack laughed. “My dad’s a farmer through and through; inherited the farm from his dad and his dad before him. Very traditional. I’m the first one in generations on the paternal side to do anything else. Mom’s a teacher.”

“Pretty ordinary by the sounds of it,” Gabriel said as he set a card down.

“Just your average Midwest family getting by in this economy,” Jack smiled. “Miss those days.”

“I can bet,” Gabriel nodded before he moved his piece forward. “You already know my family life.”

“No,” Jack smirked as he moved his piece. “No, I just know that your mom’s a lawyer. I don’t know about your dad or the rest of your family.”

“It’s just me,” Gabriel shrugged. “And my dad’s a carpenter. Best in the area so he always had business. Grew up in a great part of L.A, went to the best school, best clubs, best everything. Life was handed to me on a silver platter.”

“You sound resentful,” Jack said as he took the cards to reshuffle them.

“Not resentful towards my parents,” Gabriel sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s just…do you ever get caught in a conversation with someone that thinks because you look similar it means your life experiences are the same?”

Jack smirked and nodded. Boy, did he ever. Bloomington was an incredibly open and culturally diverse place, but that didn’t mean there weren’t white jackasses ready to whine about ‘the gays’ or ‘the blacks’ or whatever other minority stood up that week to say they weren’t going to take it anymore. His appearance made them think he was in the same boat as they were and they vented to him without them realizing he was wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ tee-shirt.

“It’s just terrifying to tell someone that’s looking at you all expectantly that no, you’ve never encountered the same sort of racism that they have,” Gabriel sighed. “I mean sure, I’ve been name called before, but I’ve never had my opinion completely cast aside because of my skin colour. Hell, sometimes I even have to remember to pronounce ‘tortilla’ properly.”

Jack smirked at Gabriel. That was a little in line with what he’d encountered in the army. A lot of people expressing confusion for certain situations and demanding to know why it was considered ‘the norm’. He knew better than to express his own opinions where POC issues cropped up, but he was the first to take a step forward and tell someone to pull their socks up and stop acting like a princess just because they liked dick instead of vagina.

“You don’t speak Spanish?” Jack asked.

“Poorly,” Gabriel grimaced as he fixed his cards again. “I didn’t want to as a kid and now I’m kicking my ass.”

“I was the same,” Jack laughed. “Although, in my case it was learning Gaelic from my mother.”

Gabriel smiled and Jack thought it was the sweetest thing he’d seen in a long time. It just made Gabriel look so happy, like he’d never really had heartfelt connections with people before. It was…nice. He missed things like this. Little things that didn’t mean much in the grand scheme, but were so important to staying sane.

“I know that you don’t want me to stay out here with you,” Gabriel said after Jack’s laughter died down. “But…maybe you can come into the city with me? Just for a little while?”

Jack shook his head. “No, Gabe. I’m better off out here. Trust me,” he said. “Besides, an old man like me would just slow you down.”

“Hardly,” Gabriel snorted. “Could you…think about it?”

Jack looked at Gabriel, took in the kid’s big, sad eyes, and sighed. “Yah,” he murmured. “I’ll think about it.”

He would have agreed right then and there if Gabriel promised to smile like that every day.  


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with the first PTSD episode. Just a warning.

Gabriel knew he was dreaming, but he didn’t care. He arched eagerly into Jack’s hands, loving the way the rough palms travelled over his skin. He bit his lip, staring up into those beautiful blue eyes as Jack leaned over him. Warm lips met his before Jack’s thumbs dug into the curve of Gabriel’s hips.

“Hey, beautiful,” Jack whispered in his ear. “Want to have some fun?”

“Yes,” Gabriel whispered. “Please, Jack.”

Jack’s hands dipped under the waistband of his pajama pants, peeling them back slowly. Gabriel gasped and arched his hips, biting his lip harder. They hadn’t even done anything yet and his body was already eager to pop. Even in his dreams, just the thought of Jack touching him was making him excited beyond all reasonable idea.

He spread his legs, chewing eagerly on his lip as Jack settled between them. His big hands pulled Gabriel’s pants down towards his knees, smiling as he watched Gabriel’s cock curl up towards his stomach. He leaned forward and buried his nose into the dark curls between Gabriel’s hips, nuzzling in against the soft hairs before he leaned forward to kiss Gabriel again.

“So eager,” he murmured. “What am I going to do with you, kid?”

Gabriel grinned against Jack’s lips, rolling his hips up so that his hard-on pressed in against Jack’s stomach. The man shuddered happily against him, growling playfully as he reached down to wrap his big fingers around Gabriel’s cock.

“Naughty boy,” he teased. “Just how I like them.”

Gabriel arched more, whimpering as Jack’s mouth worked down his throat towards the center of his chest. The smell of bacon filled his nose and…he woke up.

He blinked at the ceiling, pouting a little as he realized that Jack was up cooking breakfast again. He was uncomfortably hard in his pajama pants, a fact he wanted to go take care of immediately, but he didn’t want Jack to see what clearly was not morning wood. He sat up slowly and peeked over the back of the couch, watching Jack move around the kitchen without a shirt on.

He drooled a little as he watched those big muscles play across Jack’s massive shoulders. The man was stocky; he wasn’t that ‘ideal’ V-shape, but damn it if he didn’t believe that this man could wrestle a bear into submission and not be tired afterwards. He shivered a little, feeling the uncomfortable pressure in his loins growing a little more unbearable, and slowly stood up.

“Breakfast’s almost ready,” Jack called over his shoulder.

“Bathroom first,” Gabriel called as he hurried towards the bathroom.

“Yah, yah,” Jack said. “Don’t piss all over my floor.”

Gabriel let out a snort before he ducked into the washroom and locked the door behind him. It took an embarrassingly long time to rub one out, even when he had the beautiful image of Jack’s back burned into his brain. Still, it was a massive relief when he did finally climax and flush the evidence away. He cleaned himself up and headed out towards the kitchen, fully intending to play everything off.

“Wet dream?” Jack teased as Gabriel stepped into the kitchen.

“No,” Gabriel glared at him. “What makes you think that?”

“Doesn’t take ten minutes to piss,” Jack smirked. “Don’t be embarrassed, Gabriel. We’re both men old enough to have had more than one wet dream in their life. It’s not that big a deal.”

Gabriel pouted before he sat down and stabbed his fork into the fluffy eggs. He was not going to let the conversation go any further. The last thing he wanted was for Jack to ask what he dreamed about and either, a, find out he was gay, or b, find out that he was gay for Jack. The thought of Jack possibly rejecting him because he liked men made the eggs sour in his stomach.

“You okay there?” Jack asked. “You look like you ate something….”

The crack of thunder overhead shook the house. Gabriel swore and looked up, staring out the window at the torrent of rain that started hammering against the window. More lightning cracked across the sky, the thunder booming so loud and close that he knew the lightning was hitting nearby.

“Son of a bitch,” Gabriel growled before he looked at Jack. “That’s some…Jack?”

Jack’s eyes were glazed over. His chest was heaving and sweat was rolling down his forehead and dripping off his nose. His left hand was gripping the table so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He was holding his fork tightly in his right hand, slowly turning it.

“Gotta get out,” he whispered as he started to get to his feet. “We gotta get out of here, boss.”

“Jack?” Gabriel swallowed as he slowly got to his feet. “Hey, you okay there?”

Jack’s head rose and he looked around his kitchen. He blinked, but the glazed look hadn’t left his blue eyes. Gabriel didn’t know what to do, torn between running and hiding until this insanity passed or going and holding Jack’s hand through it. His grip had loosened on the fork, but the way he was holding it reminded him of how his military cousins held knives.

“Jack?” he asked again as he stepped forward. “Hey, you still in there?”

“Get down!” Jack snarled.

Gabriel yelped as he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and wrenched forward. He was twisted and slammed to the ground, Jack’s much bigger body covering him completely. Gabriel felt his loins stirring because of how close Jack was and how amazing he smelt, but it was quickly pushed aside as Jack started pressing on his stomach.

“Hey, ow,” Gabriel hissed. “Stop it, Jack!”

“You’re bleeding,” Jack snapped. “Let me do my job, dammit.”

“What?” Gabriel blinked at him.

Jack gripped his shirt in the center and started tearing it open, his glazed eyes focused on Gabriel’s flat stomach. His fingers started probing the corner of his stomach near his hip, digging in deep like he didn’t think there was skin there. Gabriel hissed and shifted, trying to get away from Jack’s hands. There was more power in those fingers than he thought possible and it fucking hurt.

“Stop moving,” Jack snapped. “I have to stitch you up. Bite down on something.”

“What? No, don’t!” Gabriel yelped as he tried to shove at Jack’s face. “I’m not injured!”

“I’m covered in your blood, Raj; don’t fucking pull that tough guy shit with me,” Jack snarled and tried to shove him down.

Gabriel reached up and dug his fingers into Jack’s hair. “Jack, stop! You’re hurting me!”

Jack’s glazed eyes met his and he saw a flicker of confusion in the blue depths. Gabriel swallowed and tugged on Jack’s hair, earning a faint growl from the larger man. He had to make him see that he wasn’t wherever his mind thought he was.

“You’re hurting me,” he repeated. “I’m not bleeding. Wherever you think you are, Jack, you aren’t! Please. Come back.”

Jack blinked slowly and closed his eyes. He let out a weak shudder before he shifted his head towards Gabriel’s hand.

“Keep talking,” he growled.

“I don’t know what you were seeing,” Gabriel continued as he slowly started to sit up, “but you aren’t there. You’re here, with me, Gabriel. Safe and sound in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. We’re in your cottage, the one you built with your own two hands. We’re safe.”

Jack shivered and Gabriel slowly guided his head down against his chest. He rocked slowly, back and forth, and gently ran his fingers through Jack’s hair. Jack pressed in closer, his breathing ragged as he came back to reality. His hand flexed against Gabriel’s thigh before he slumped like a ton of bricks against Gabriel’s chest.

Gabriel let out a grunt before flopping backwards under the weight of the huge man. He slowly patted at his hair, blinking back tears of pain as he was almost crushed under what had to be well over two hundred pounds of muscle.

“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered.

“It’s okay,” Gabriel soothed as he ran his fingers through Jack’s hair. “I’m here.”

* * *

 

Jack rested his cheek against Gabriel’s chest as the younger man ran his fingers slowly through Jack’s hair. They had retreated to the pull-out as soon as Jack could get his feet under him and proceeded to snuggle. Jack knew it was more for his benefit than Gabriel’s, but he was glad for the human contact.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Jack murmured. “It’s not exactly flattering.”

“It wasn’t nice,” Gabriel agreed. “But you don’t have to be sorry about it.”

“I hurt you,” Jack closed his eyes and tightened the hold he had around Gabriel’s waist. “I never wanted to hurt anyone. It’s why I’m out here.”

“Maybe it’s time you stopped hiding then,” Gabriel said. “You need help, Jack. Even if it’s just talking to someone. If something like thunder makes you go back to wherever that memory’s from…”

Jack squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to think about it, but he had to. He kept going back to that horrible battle where he lost everyone in his squad. He’d tried so hard to keep them alive, had fought against death itself to save even one of them, but he couldn’t. He’d lost them all; not one of them survived long enough to see the evac helicopter. He’d been all alone on the flight back. Corpses made for awful company. The pitying looks from the evac team had been even worse.

“You don’t have to tell me details,” Gabriel said softly. “I get that it’s hard for you. I never want anyone to go through that. But…I think you need to talk about it. Before it kills you.”

Jack nodded slowly. “I was part of a black ops unit,” he murmured. “We ran deep behind enemy lines. Collected information. Found people of interest and got them back to headquarters, that sort of thing. It was mostly…good. I didn’t have to shoot anyone that wasn’t already holding a gun and my CO cared for our welfare.

“We got…sent out to this little remote village in Kuwait. Quiet place, locals were nervous, but helpful. The local fundies, they’d been hitting the place hard. Lot of young women trying to get an education had been abducted and… beheaded. One little boy that loved playing soccer had his leg amputated and returned to his mother. I treated it for infection when I got there and Chris managed to make him a nifty little pegleg from the locals’ spare metal.

“It was mostly just surveillance out there. The fundies were making sure to keep off the radar, but we knew they were around. Higher ups wanted us to interrogate a few of the locals, but Bane, our CO, knew they didn’t know anything. They were just people in a small, remote place trying to get by in life.

“So, one day, Raj spots something and we move out. Get the village locked down to keep them from getting hit in the crossfire. We got to the spot that Raj spotted them and there’s no one there; Chris goes after Raj immediately, but Bane made them shut up really fast. I was keeping an eye on the flank when I spotted them.

“It was a slaughter. Bane fell first. Then Chris. Then Raj. I only managed to survive by playing dead. Evac showed up after an hour and scared the fundies off. Think the copter managed to kill one or two as they fled.

“I was given a complete psychological evaluation and was informed that it was in my best interest to be retired from the military. My superior officers took a few weeks to decide before I was given an honourable discharge and sent home. So. Here I am.”

Gabriel’s arms tightened around his shoulders. “Thank you for trusting me,” he murmured. “I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through, Jack, and I hope I never do, to be honest. But I want you to know that I care. A lot.”

Jack snuggled closer, pressing his face in against Gabriel’s stomach. “I appreciate it,” he murmured. “I never want anyone else to go through what I have, but I know that won’t be possible. Going through war doesn’t make you a better person; it just leaves you scarred.”

Gabriel let out a soft noise above him before shimmying down to snuggle chest to chest. Those beautiful, soulful brown eyes looked at him with nothing short of reverence as his hand travelled down Jack’s face.

“Hey,” he murmured, “scars look good.”

“Don’t push your luck, kid,” Jack warned with a smile. “You might just get more than you bargained for.”

“Maybe that’s what I want,” Gabriel said as he leaned in closer. “At least, a taste?”

“Gabriel,” Jack’s smile faded as he felt Gabriel’s lips ghost against his own. “I’m fifteen years older than you.”

Gabriel paused and sat up. “Wait, so a guy coming onto you doesn’t freak you out?” he asked nervously.

“No; I’m bi,” Jack snorted. “But that doesn’t mean….”

“Oh sweet fuck!” Gabriel laughed before flopping onto his back. “I was so scared you were going to castrate me or something! But you’re totally okay because you like dicks and vaginas!”

“Gabriel,” Jack wrinkled his nose. “That isn’t relevant to the conversation!”

“Sure it is!” Gabriel rolled over to grin at him. “It means I have a chance!”

“What part of ‘fifteen years older’ did you miss?” Jack demanded. “I feel like an old lecher. And I’m going to die first.”

“So?” Gabriel asked as he shifted closer and wrapped his arms around Jack’s chest. “Just being with you is amazing, Jack. I can’t think of anywhere else I want to be than in your arms.”

“We’ve known each other two days, Gabriel,” Jack shook his head.

“And we’ve shared the same space for that long,” Gabriel smiled at him. “Just…a small chance? If it doesn’t work out, at least we took the chance?”

Jack rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling. “Fine,” he said. “But it doesn’t go further than second base.”

“Which is?” Gabriel lifted an eyebrow.

“Heavy petting,” Jack replied. “I think. I don’t actually know what the bases are, I just know a homerun means sex.”

“Fuck, if heavy petting is second, what the fuck is third?” Gabriel laughed.

“I give you the best blowjob of your life,” Jack smirked. “But you aren’t getting that out of me so easily, squirt.”

Gabriel stared at him before sinking down to snuggle against him. “Oh, Jack, don’t tease me like that,” he sighed. “It’s so mean.”

“Well, it’ll give you something to look forward to,” Jack smiled as he rested his cheek against Gabriel’s stomach. “Now hush; I need a nap.”

He felt his smile broaden as Gabriel’s fingers started slowly combing through his hair again. Yes. This was nice. For now.


	5. Chapter 5

Gabriel woke to a gentle kiss on his cheek. He blinked his eyes open slowly and smiled at Jack as the older man nuzzled his cheek.

“Rain’s stopped,” he said gently. “I’ve already started packing supplies.”

“Mmm,” Gabriel yawned as he sat up and stretched. “We can get a cooler at the cottage and come back here to collect the freezer meats,” he said.

Jack nodded as he retreated from the living room to start preparing breakfast. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, but Gabriel was already used to seeing it like this. The rain had taken two more days to come to a stop and he was already feeling cabin fever. At least Jack had ways to keep them entertained; although, sadly, he was sticking to his ‘heavy petting only’ rule.

Gabriel sat down at the table as Jack started cooking eggs for them. He’d always meant to ask if Jack got the eggs from town or if he pilfered some poor wild fowl’s nest for them. He didn’t have to worry about it, at any rate, since they’d be heading up to Gabriel’s parents’ cottage where they had access to a much larger variety of food.

“It’s going to be a long walk,” Jack warned. “You were already four hours from the main road by the time I found you. Your parents’ cottage will be further along from there.”

“That’s fine,” Gabriel shrugged. “Gives me more time to bask in your beauty.”

“Wow,” Jack snorted as he cracked another egg open. “Laying it on thick this morning. I’m not going to ditch you at the cottage and return to the woods, Gabe.”

Gabe. That simple nickname made him weak in the knees. He’d never liked nicknames, but hearing that shortened version of his name leave Jack’s lips was like a private love letter between them. There was so much love and affection in that simple word. He had to find a good nickname for Jack to return the favour.

“Earth to Gabriel,” Jack laughed as he set breakfast down in front of him. “Come in, Gabriel.”

“Sorry,” Gabriel smiled at him. “I just love it when you call me that.”

“What, Gabe?” Jack asked. “I figured that would have already been your nickname.”

“I don’t like nicknames,” Gabriel shrugged. “They tend to be insulting.”

Jack looked at him. “You realize you’ve been calling me by a nickname since you met me, right?”

“What?” Gabriel demanded. “What’s your real name then?”

“Johnathan,” Jack chuckled. “But that’s my father’s name, so I go by Jack. It suits me better.”

“You’re a junior?” Gabriel stared. “Was that annoying growing up?”

“Only when distant family got mad at me for not responding to my name,” Jack shrugged. “Almost no one calls me ‘Johnathan’ except my mother when I’m in trouble.”

“Ooh, so you get full named,” Gabriel grinned.

“No, my dad uses my first and middle name when I’m in deep shit,” Jack shuddered. “My mom just uses my given name.”

“How bad can that be? I’ve got four names to get called and I know I’m in shit before my mom’s even finished with ‘Lucien’,” Gabriel shivered.

“Johnathan Hope Morrison,” Jack said. “It’s the tone more than anything. My dad just has this voice that when he’s angry, it drops, like, three octaves. It’s terrifying. And four names?”

Gabriel nodded. “Gabriel Lucien Ernesto Reyes,” he said as he ticked off his fingers. “My dad took my mom’s last name when they married.”

“That is a mouthful,” Jack agreed as he crunched into his toast. “But, at least the names work together. Your parents were kind to you for that.”

“Yah, they’re all mostly Latin names,” Gabriel laughed. “So, what’s the plan?”

Jack pulled his map and compass out and pointed along a line he had already charted for them. “This should be the quickest way up to the road,” he said. “I usually go this way,” he ran his finger over a darker line, “to get to my truck, but that would take us at least an hour out of the way and through a Grizzly’s turf. Figured you didn’t want to deal with one again.”

“No, not at all,” Gabriel shuddered. “If I ever see another bear again, it’ll be too soon.”

Jack shot him a look as he ran his finger over the line of the road. “After we get here, it’s up to you to lead us. I don’t know where your family’s cottage is.”

“I’ll get us there, don’t worry,” Gabriel smiled. “I have a terrible sense of direction, but if your truck’s there, that’s probably the way into town, right?”

“Yup,” Jack said as he folded the map up. “Finish eating and I’ll get our packs.”

Gabriel nodded and took his time eating. He wanted to be full, but not nauseous on the walk out. Jack had everything waiting as promised when he was finished eating. He helped get everything situated comfortably on Gabriel’s back and shoulders before they stepped out onto the porch.

The sun was just starting to climb into the sky when Jack finally managed to drag himself away from the front door. The grass under their shoes was still soaking wet, but the temperature was already starting to climb. It would be hot by the time noon rolled around.

Gabriel walked close to Jack most of the way, smiling at the other man as they picked their way up a ridge. Jack didn’t comment on it, but he did shoot Gabriel small looks when he took too long getting up a small incline behind him. There was amusement in that look and Gabriel was tempted to slow them down just so that he could continue to see it. He knew better, however; it was hard enough for Jack to leave his home of five years without Gabriel being a dick about it.

Gabriel did start lagging behind as the heat and humidity started rising. Jack didn’t make him feel bad about it, handing off extra bottles of water when Gabriel drank all of his own.

“I know I should be conserving,” Gabriel started to say, but Jack shook his head.

“Your body needs water now,” he said. “We’ll worry about refilling them later.”

“Thanks,” Gabriel said.

Jack almost had to drag him the rest of the way to the road by the time midday rolled around. Gabriel was exhausted and sweating so heavily that his clothing was soaked through. He wanted to curl up into a ball and hide for the rest of his life, never wanting to move again. Jack got him into the shade with another bottle of water and some lunch for him to pick at.

“It’s too hot to move,” Gabriel whined. “How are you okay?”

“I’m used to this weather,” Jack said as he sat down beside him. “But, we should rest for a little while. I’m really proud of you, Gabe. That wasn’t an easy climb.”

Gabriel managed a weak smile before he let himself drop onto Jack’s shoulder. “Wake me up when we’re ready to go,” he murmured before promptly passing out.

* * *

 

Jack let Gabriel sleep the afternoon away. He didn’t mind sitting there and recalculating their route. He also didn’t mind how snuggly Gabriel got when he was exhausted. The smaller man was snuggled in against his side, his face buried into Jack’s pec. He was drooling a little, his mouth open as he snored.

“Cutie,” Jack teased as he patted Gabriel’s face dry of sweat. “We’ll get going once the sun goes down a little bit more.”

Gabriel let out a soft puff of air on Jack’s neck. Jack smiled as he reached up to caress Gabriel’s cheek. He was too adorable for words when he was sleeping. His black hair was flopped over his face, his face still holding some childhood chubbiness, and was so peaceful that Jack didn’t want to wake him up. Sure, they had to get going, but Jack could wait for Gabriel to wake up on his own. It wasn’t like they were in a rush or anything.

He looked up as he heard a car rolling down the road. He nodded to the driver as they rolled past, not wanting to get ran over because they decided they didn’t see him. He caught a flash of wide eyes before the car’s tires screeched on the gravel. Gabriel’s head snapped up and he let out a groggy noise as the passenger’s side door flew open. A woman scrambled out of the car, her brown eyes wide.

“Gabriel!” she shouted. “Gabriel!”

“Mama?” Gabriel asked as he rubbed at his eyes. “Hey, what’re you doing out here?”

“We didn’t hear from you!” Mrs. Reyes said as she dropped to her knees and hugged Gabriel to her chest. “We were so worried! We called the ranger’s office, but they didn’t know where you would have gone after heading up to the cottage! Then Mr. Fairservice said he saw you take a walk out towards the east and you never came back. We thought we’d lost you forever!”

“Nah,” Gabriel smiled. “Jack saved my ass.”

“Ma’am,” Jack nodded politely Gabriel’s mother snapped her head around to look at him.

“You saved my boy?” she asked.

“From a Grizzly,” Jack nodded. “Don’t know how he managed to piss it off, but that’s Gabriel for you.”

Gabriel’s mother’s eyes narrowed as she got to her feet. “You’ll tell us everything once we get to the cottage,” she said. “Come on.”

Gabriel and Jack climbed to their feet and followed her to the car. Gabriel’s father hugged him awkwardly, ruffling his hair a little stiffly. Where Gabriel’s mother seemed to be oozing too much parental protectiveness, his father was holding it back. Jack didn’t have to be clairvoyant to know that Gabriel’s perfect little family was rather dysfunctional. But, what family wasn’t? Maybe they were just bad at displaying their emotions; who was he to judge?

But, he could see the anger in their eyes as he climbed into the backseat with Gabriel. He could see how unwelcome he was to their little family. They didn’t want him there; they wanted him gone as soon as possible. He didn’t know what he’d done to piss them off, but he had a feeling that it was something petty. Petty, stupid, and was going to break Gabriel’s heart when he figured out what it was.

He was going to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t want to put words in anyone’s mouth, but he could practically see the thought bouncing around in their skulls.

“What was a filthy white boy like you doing anywhere near our precious boy?”  


	6. Chapter 6

“And you lived out here for five years?” Papa squinted at Jack.

Gabriel felt himself bristling. He couldn’t believe that his parents were acting like Jack was a leper or something. He’d saved Gabriel’s life and kept him safe and warm when it was raining out. Gabriel would have died of exposure if he hadn’t gotten killed by the bears in the area. Why were his parents acting like this? It didn’t make any sense.

“I have,” Jack replied as he leaned back in his chair. “Wasn’t bothering anyone, naturally. Most of the local land owners didn’t even know I was out there.”

Gabriel saw the look of disgust cross his mother’s face. She’d dealt with men like Jack before in court, the ones that thought they were above conservation laws because they were living off the land. Jack probably had all the permits he needed to hunt without a problem out here. It wasn’t like he was poaching the local wildlife because he had nothing better to do with his time.

“Well, I’m glad that that’s over,” Mama sniffed. “Now you can both put this horrible period behind you and get on with your lives.”

‘Without each other’ was an unspoken addition to that statement. Gabriel felt himself straighten and his hackles raise. He was not about to be bullied into never speaking with Jack again. He was not about to have his parents chase off the best person to ever stumble into his life. He was a grown man; they couldn’t control his life anymore. He could make his own decisions, good or bad, and live with the consequences.

“I’m going back to Jack’s cottage with him to help get the rest of his things,” Gabriel snapped. “Then we’re going to move him in with me.”

“Gabe,” Jack shot him a look, but Gabriel shook his head.

He didn’t care whether his parents found out now or later. They could deal with the fact that Gabriel was bringing his boyfriend in on his lease. If he was going to be an ass, he could worry about that later. He just wanted Jack to have a solid foundation to build on before he could get his life back on track.

“Move in…are you out of your mind?” Mama demanded. “You barely know this man!”

“I know enough about him to know that he’s the best person I’ve ever met,” Gabriel said. “He saved my life. He kept me alive. He cared about me. No one else in my life would have done the same and not expected something in return.”

“Gabriel,” Papa tried to say, but Gabriel shook his head.

“He’s moving in with me and that’s that,” Gabriel snorted. “Got a problem with that?”

“You don’t even pay for your apartment; I do,” Mama growled.

“I can get a job and pay for my accommodations,” Gabriel replied. “Or at least half until Jack can get his feet back on the ground.”

“Gabriel,” Jack reached out and squeezed his hand. “Calm down. You’re making a fight out of nothing.”

“Nothing? They’re looking at you like you’re scum and treating you like dirt; how is that nothing?” Gabriel demanded.

Jack gave him a sad smile. “I’m kind of use to that, Gabe,” he chuckled. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not,” Gabriel glared and squeezed his hand. “You’re the best person to ever come into my life. Don’t talk like you’re nothing.”

“We’ll talk more about this in the morning,” Mama said. “I’ll show Jack to a guest bedroom.”

“I will,” Gabriel snapped. “You and Papa go to bed. I’ll help Jack get settled.”

He could see the fury in his mother’s eyes, but she allowed him to lead Jack to the main floor guest bedroom. Jack rubbed at his forehead when they were out of sight, shooting Gabriel a tired smile.

“They don’t like me much,” he said.

“They don’t like anyone that much,” Gabriel sighed. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Jack reassured him before leaning in and kissing his nose. “See you in the morning.”

Gabriel grinned as Jack closed the door to the bedroom. He turned and felt like he floated up to his room, flopping onto the bed without getting changed. He was exhausted even after his long afternoon nap. He probably wouldn’t be ready to go with Jack tomorrow to collect his things, but he’d go anyways. He was good like that.

He woke in the morning to hands rubbing gentle circles into his shoulders. He could smell bacon as he woke up more, turning his head to meet Jack’s wonderful smile. He had a plate of food sitting in one hand and it looked like a sweet dream. There were crepes, bacon, and sausage, as well as fresh fruit piled up on each other.

“That looks good,” Gabriel murmured as he rolled onto his side.

“All for you, sweetheart,” Jack teased. “I’m going to go get my truck so we can store my things whenever we get back.”

“Mmm, I’ll have the ATVs ready then,” Gabriel smiled.

“No rush,” Jack soothed as he set the plate of food down on the nightstand. “I’ll be at least an hour. And I know you’re going to be sore. Not like the house is going anywhere.”

“You never know,” Gabriel teased as he sat up and groaned, popping his back in several places as he stretched. “Maybe the bears will move in.”

“I doubt that,” Jack smiled as he got to his feet. “Don’t rush.”

Gabriel waved as he left before turning his attention to the mountain of food Jack had made for him. He was going to get fat if Jack kept spoiling him like this. He couldn’t see the downside so long as he had Jack there to cuddle him.

* * *

 

Jack was expecting the confrontation when he returned with his truck. He was a little surprised that it was both of Gabriel’s parents that were waiting for him since it was clear that Gabriel’s mother was the dominant person of the pair. Still, he knew it was coming and didn’t feel surprised when they immediately started into him.

“Do you think you’re helping him?” Gabriel’s father demanded. “Dragging him all over the countryside?”

“I’m not making him do anything he isn’t willing to,” Jack said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “He wants to help me and I’m not opposed to a little assistance right now. Please, I’m not trying to hurt him.”

“You already have,” Gabriel’s mother growled. “You think this experience hasn’t damaged him?”

“It wasn’t my fault that he got chased by a Grizzly,” Jack rolled his eyes. “And learning to get his hands dirty isn’t a bad thing.”

“You’re encouraging him to be ignorant,” Gabriel’s mother continued. “He told me that he isn’t going to be returning to school.”

“That’s his choice,” Jack said. “Please, excuse me. I’m hungry and want to get something to eat.”

“No,” Gabriel’s father snapped and shifted forward. “You aren’t coming back into this cottage. Ever. Leave.”

Jack gave him a flat look before he shook his head. Did he really think that he could just forbid Jack from seeing Gabriel like the man was twelve or something? Sure, he could stop Jack from entering the property; trespassing laws and all that; but he couldn’t forbid his grown son from seeing him

Jack glanced up as he heard a window open. Gabriel poked his head out, glaring down at his parents. They must have been hoping Gabriel wouldn’t hear them confronting Jack. Their little plan had just backfired on them. Fights attracted attention like flies to honey.

“Hey, you ready to get going?” he called down. “I’m ready when you are.”

“You sure you don’t need time to rest?” Jack called back. “That was a long day yesterday.”

“I’m good!” Gabriel grinned before he pulled his head back into whatever room he was in.

Jack looked back at Gabriel’s parents and shook his head. “You can’t control him forever,” he said. “And I’m sorry that it’s being brought to your attention so suddenly.”

He turned as Gabriel hurried out of the house. He followed the younger man over to the awaiting ATVs and helped get the massive cooler secured to the back of his vehicle. Jack could feel Gabriel’s parents glaring at his back as he and Gabriel started the ATVs and pulled their helmets on. He gave them a brief nod before revving the engine and gunning it down the dirt road.

They could be as angry as they wanted. He wasn’t doing anything to hurt Gabriel. He wasn’t using him. He wasn’t forcing him to do anything he didn’t want to. He didn’t control where Gabriel went. He was his own man and Jack just wanted to see him flourish.

* * *

 

Gabriel was seething as he followed Jack down the dirt road. He couldn’t believe that his parents had cornered Jack when he was trying to come back into the cottage. He had no idea what they had been talking about, but he could guess. They’d acted like this with all of his partners, almost as if they never wanted him to grow up and be an adult. What better way for them to keep control of him than by forcing him to rely solely on them for social interactions?

He almost missed Jack turning the ATV down the embankment and had to ease off the gas to follow safely. Jack glanced back, but he couldn’t make out his expression through the visor of the helmet. Gabriel flashed a thumbs up to show he was okay and Jack continued down into the forest.

Gabriel tried to put the encounter with his parents out of his mind as he followed Jack through the forest. The four hour hike only took half an hour on the ATVs, something that Gabriel appreciated. That would give them plenty of time to pack up and make multiple trips if they had to. And, if he was lucky, it would give him some time to snuggle the big man without his parents breathing down his neck.

Because, damn it, he wanted to suffocate in Jack’s pecs at least once before they left Nebraska. It was the best way to get the big guy to laugh and relax and it didn’t hurt that they were so soft.

“See? No one broke in,” Gabriel teased as they turned off the ATVs outside the cottage.

“Luckily,” Jack agreed as he pulled the helmet off and headed for the front door. “Come on; we’ve got work to do.”

Gabriel unhooked the cooler and followed Jack inside. He left the cooler in the kitchen; they’d put the food in last to keep it from thawing; and followed Jack up to the master bedroom. It was strangely intimate to help Jack pack up his few cherished belongings. He saw a lot of pictures of Jack, a man he looked strikingly similar to, and a woman with a big smile that matched his. They were obviously his parents, but the pictures looked old.

“You haven’t seen them in a while, huh?” Gabriel asked as he wrapped a picture frame in newspaper and set it in a box.

“Not for five years,” Jack sighed. “I…couldn’t face them. Not after my first episode. I was so scared to hurt them….”

“I can see why,” Gabriel grimaced. “But I’m here to help you through it, old man,” he added. “What are friends for, right?”

Jack smiled at him and chuckled. “Friend. It’s nice to have a friend,” he agreed as he folded the box up.

They packed up the bathroom next, fitting all of Jack’s toiletries into a single bag. The living room took a little bit longer since they had to figure out how to get Jack’s hunting trophies; all horns and antlers, thankfully; safely packed away without breaking them. Jack eventually decided to leave them mounted, claiming that they weren’t appropriate for an apartment anyways.

They put all of the contents in the fridge and freezer into the cooler before hauling everything out to the ATVs. It took a little finagling, but they managed to get everything secured without having to worry about making two trips. Jack ducked back into the cottage to leave a note to anyone that happened to be in the area, inviting them to use the cottage for as long as they needed. He just requested that they cleaned up after themselves.

Jack emerged from the cottage with a sad smile and rested a hand on one of the pillars attached to the porch. “It’s been fun, old friend,” he said. “I’ll see you in the spring, maybe.”

“Or the winter,” Gabriel grinned. “I’m sure this is a romantic spot to get snowed in.”

“There is nothing romantic when you get snowed in,” Jack said as he pulled on his helmet. “Come on. Your parents will have my skin if you’re out here too late.”

Gabriel shifted closer and wrapped his arms around Jack’s hips. Jack glanced at him, but lifted his helmet so that they could share a brief kiss. They had a moment to enjoy being in each other’s arms before they climbed back onto the ATVs and headed for Gabriel’s parents’ cottage.


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriel was ready for the fight. He wasn’t ready for the screaming. The accusations. Or Jack’s response.

“Then let him go,” Jack said with a deathly calm voice.

“Let him go?” Mama demanded. “Who do you think you are?!”

“A friend,” Jack replied. “Someone that cares about him and isn’t afraid to watch him grow.”

“You think you’re something special, don’t you?” Mama snarled. “Do you think you know my son more than I do?”

“No, I don’t,” Jack snapped. “But I’ve listened to him and following what you want him to do isn’t going to be fulfilling to him.”

“Oh, so you want him to starve?” Mama demanded. “You want him to waste his life in theater and fashion? There is no money!”

“It doesn’t have to be about money!” Jack shouted. “For fuck sake, woman, is that all you care about? Gabriel is brilliant, but forcing him to follow in your footsteps isn’t going to do anything for him. Let him make his own decisions, good or bad. That’s the only way he’s going to learn.”

“He’s going to law school and he’ll thank me for it later,” Mama snarled.

“No, I’m not,” Gabriel said as he stepped up beside Jack. “I don’t want to be a lawyer. I don’t know what I want, but I know that a life in court would kill me faster than starvation would. Just…stop.”

“What has this man done to you, Gabriel?” Papa whispered. “You would never speak to us this way. Why are you so angry?”

“Because you aren’t listening to me,” Gabriel said. “I’ve been telling you since I was small that I didn’t want to be a lawyer. I don’t want that sort of stress in my life. I don’t want people to think of me that way. I just…I don’t know what I want, but I know that going to law school would be a waste of everyone’s time, especially my own.”

“You won’t go to law school, but you don’t know what you want,” Mama curled her lip. “Gabriel, do you realize how foolish you sound? You’re twenty-three. You can’t live in a fantasy world forever.”

“I’m not!” Gabriel shouted. “I know plenty of jobs that don’t need a doctorate. Every time I apply or plan to apply, you interfere and make sure it falls through. I’m tired of living under your thumb.”

Mama stared at him before an ugly smile played across her lips. Gabriel had never seen that smile before, but he felt for sure that, for the first time in his life, he was seeing the real woman behind the mask his mother put on for the world. It scared him, letting him see the pettiness that hid behind his mother’s flesh.

“Is that so?” she asked. “Well, I won’t hold you back anymore. You have a week to move out of your apartment seeing as I won’t be paying for it anymore and you certainly can’t.”

Gabriel felt his heart constrict in pain. She was ripping his home out from under him? Why? What would that prove? Why was she suddenly so determined to hurt him? What had he done?

“Mama,” he murmured.

“You don’t want to live comfortably,” she shrugged. “So you can go live with your homeless friend in the middle of nowhere. That’s all you aspire to be, so why should I interfere?”

Jack let out a snort of laughter. “Wow, you’re a real piece of work,” he said. “Some parent you are, throwing your son aside like trash when he doesn’t want to play by your rules anymore.”

“You don’t have a child; you wouldn’t understand,” Mama snapped. “Besides, your parents didn’t do much better if they let you run off and play mountain man.”

Gabriel reached out and put a hand in the middle of Jack’s chest. He watched the other man stiffen, his blue eyes coming alive with fury. He towered over Mama and was twice her weight, but he knew that his Mama would not back down. She thought she was invincible, untouchable because of her track record of being an impressive lawyer. She had nothing on Jack, but she would never see that.

“Jack, don’t,” Gabriel whispered. “Let’s just get our things and go. We don’t have to take this.”

“Fine,” Jack growled as he slowly eased himself back. “Next time you want to argue, don’t bring my parents into it,” he added as he turned away. “They’re much better people than you could ever hope to be, Mrs. Reyes.”

Jack followed Gabriel up to his room and they quickly packed the things that Gabriel couldn’t and wouldn’t leave behind. Mama and Papa watched them leave from the porch, acting like statues as Jack started his truck and backed out of the driveway. Tears burned down Gabriel’s face as he leaned back in his chair, staring up at the roof of the truck as Jack drove off into the growing twilight.

“Phone’s in the glovebox,” Jack grunted as he kept his eyes on the road. “Scroll through the contacts and call ‘Reinhardt’. Please.”

“Yah,” Gabriel murmured as he dug the phone out.

It was an older model, but he figured out quickly how to get it working. He navigated over to Jack’s contact list, trying not to notice how incredibly short it was. He found Reinhardt’s contact information and dialed the number, flipping it over to speakerphone as he held the phone up for Jack to talk into.

“Hello, Jack! It’s been too long, my friend!” a loud, booming voice echoed down the phone line. “How are you doing?”

“Can’t complain,” Jack replied. “You still in L.A?”

“Yes! And doing very well for myself!” Reinhardt laughed. “Why, are you planning on coming and visiting me?”

“Yes,” Jack chuckled. “And I have a request. Do you still have those apartments and are any available?”

“You’re coming back to society?” Reinhardt asked. “Jack, I’m…yes, I can have one ready in a few days! What do you need, old friend?”

“Two bedroom,” Jack replied. “It’s for me and…my boyfriend.”

There was silence for a moment before Reinhardt started laughing. “You? You have a boyfriend? And you’re only telling me this now? I am offended, Jack! But, save the details for when you arrive. I want to see this wonderful man!”

“How do you know he’s wonderful?” Jack asked as he shot Gabriel a smirk.

“If they won your heart, they must be something special!” Reinhardt laughed. “Drive safe. And call your parents!”

“I will, I will,” Jack waved a hand. “Geeze, you’re almost as bad as my mom.”

“Someone has to be,” Reinhardt snorted. “I will see you soon, Jack.”

“See you there, Reinhardt,” Jack chuckled.

Gabriel hung up and slipped the phone back into the glove compartment. “Why two bedroom?” he asked softly.

“In case this,” he motioned between them, “mellows out. I wouldn’t want you to feel like you have to share a bed with me. And I want to ease back into that sort of life. Nightmares and all that.”

Gabriel nodded, but part of him couldn’t help but feel like Jack was hiding something from him. Was Jack just keeping him around for the fun of it? Did he really care about him? He blinked back tears and leaned his head against the window, trying to focus on anything but Jack.

“There’s a neck thing under your seat,” Jack said gently. “It helps when you’re trying to sleep in a vehicle.”

Gabriel reached under his seat and pulled out a light blue neck wrap. He set it over his shoulders and adjusted one arm to hold his weight better when he leaned back against the window. He closed his eyes and tried to let the truck’s movements lull him to sleep.

* * *

 

Jack was not expecting the welcome that was waiting for them outside of Reinhardt’s simple apartments. The big man must have let everyone know that Jack was coming out of the woods to mingle with society again because all of his friends were there to greet him. Ana pulled him into a big hug, Torbjörn gave his thigh a hard smack in greeting, and Fareeha hugged him so tightly he heard something pop.

“I figured you’d need the help moving in,” Reinhardt grinned when Fareeha finally put him down. “Ah, and this must be your love!”

Gabriel winced as Reinhardt pulled him into a big hug, but didn’t fuss. He’d been quiet most of the trip, only speaking when spoken directly to, but he was starting to open up again. Fareeha was around his age, so Jack hoped she could be a friend for him. He didn’t like seeing Gabriel so miserable.

“So, I’ll show you the apartment and then we’ll go get his stuff,” Reinhardt clapped his hands together as soon as he put Gabriel down.

“Gabriel,” Jack chuckled as he walked over. “This is Reinhardt. He’s an old war buddy.”

“Hello,” Gabriel nodded his head before he carefully took Jack’s hand. “Can we go inside? People are staring.”

Jack nodded and guided Gabriel inside. Reinhardt brought them to the end of the first floor hallway and let them into a spacious and practical apartment. Jack whistled in approval as he looked around. Everything looked newly renovated and clean, which he appreciated. Gabriel wandered between the bedrooms before he came out and shyly thanked Reinhardt for taking them in on such short notice.

“It is no problem at all!” Reinhardt laughed. “I do not let my friends suffer. Besides,” he winked, “if you can get Jack to smile, you are worth a thousand apartments.”

“Stop flirting with my boyfriend,” Jack laughed as he slapped Reinhardt’s massive shoulder. “He likes bears. Don’t you go stealing him on me.”

Reinhardt laughed harder before showing Jack to the moving van he’d rented for the day. They climbed in while Ana, Fareeha, and Torbjörn followed in Ana’s car. Gabriel led them through the city to the ritzy apartment his mother had been paying for. He looked ashamed as he led Jack up to the penthouse suite, grumbling that he’d never wanted to live here and that his mother had insisted on it.

“I don’t care about the place,” Jack said as he hugged Gabriel close. “We’re moving you somewhere else. You can start over. We both can. It’ll be better, I promise.”

“Yah,” Gabriel gave him a thin smile. “I know.”

They spent the afternoon packing Gabriel’s things. He took only what he knew he had purchased, very much aware that his mother would throw a fit if she knew he’d taken anything her money had purchased. Just thinking about the woman made Jack’s blood boil, but he kept himself in check so that Gabriel would be okay. He had to worry about him right now, not how much of a bitch his mother was.

The moving van turned out to be mostly useless since they only ended up packing a few boxes, but it was the thought that counted. Gabriel was silent on the drive back, but Jack had a feeling that he would break down as soon as they were alone. He quietly asked Reinhardt if they could put the ‘welcome home’ party off for a little while and Reinhardt agreed without a word.

Jack waited until Gabriel had settled down on the couch and everyone had left before he approached. Gabriel didn’t look at him as he sat down, but he didn’t stop Jack from gently taking his hand.

“Are we making a mistake?” Gabriel whispered.

“I don’t think we are,” Jack reassured him. “It’ll take some getting used to, certainly, but we’ll be okay.”

Gabriel shifted closer and tucked his head under Jack’s jaw. “Sleep with me tonight?”

“I will,” he promised. “Don’t worry; this couch is big enough for two.”

Gabriel let out a soft chuckle as he snuggled closer. Jack kissed over his head and wondered where their lives were going to go now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miscommunication, yay~
> 
> And I told you it was going to get worse with Gabe's parents.


	8. Chapter 8

“Jack? You’re calling twice in one month; is everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Dad,” Jack chuckled as he stretched out on the couch. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m in L.A now for the foreseeable future.”

“L.A?” John parroted. “Why’re you out there?”

“It’s…where my boyfriend’s from,” Jack smiled at the ceiling.

“Boyfriend?” John repeated before he started laughing. “Jack Morrison! You sly, old dog. Where did you manage to find a boyfriend in the middle of nowhere?”

“He needed to be saved from a Grizzly,” Jack smiled. “I’ll tell you the whole story when I come visit. I want to get settled around here before I up and leave to visit.”

“Your mother will be happy to hear that,” John laughed. “And so am I. I’ve missed you something fierce, Jack.”

“I know,” Jack sighed. “Sorry about that.”

“I know you needed time to figure things out,” John soothed. “I wish you could have stayed closer to home, but I’m glad you’re back. Take your time getting settled; we aren’t going anywhere.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jack smiled. “Give Mom a kiss from me.”

“I will. You be careful. I love you so much, Jack,” John replied.

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Jack stared up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering what he would do without his parents, before he got to his feet. He puttered around the kitchen getting himself something to eat and checking his voicemail just in case Gabriel had tried to contact him while he was on the phone.

Gabriel had managed to find a job at the local diner up the road as a waiter. Jack was not as lucky. He didn’t want to have to rely on Reinhardt for everything, even if the offer to be the building’s handyman was incredibly tempting. He just didn’t want it to look like he was taking advantage of Reinhardt’s good nature and open arms.

His phone went off and he glanced at it. He unlocked it, thumbing over to his messages as he recognized Gabriel’s ringtone. He read the quickly typed out message and smiled, sending a smiley face to show that he’d gotten it. Gabriel would be working a little bit later, picking up another shift for someone that had gone home sick.

He glanced at the state of the cupboard shelves before he collected his things and headed out to his truck. He could get some groceries while he was waiting for Gabriel and give him a decent supper. The boy deserved it after working so hard the last few days.

He breezed through the grocery store, refusing to make eye contact with anyone the entire time. Being around people again unnerved him a little, like they were all aware of how messed up in the head he was. He could almost see their squints, the whispers said behind his back when they thought he wasn’t paying attention, and the demands to know who he was without them ever speaking to him. The cashier seemed friendly, but he’d stopped trusting smiles from strangers a long time ago. He thanked the woman for her assistance and beat a hasty retreat back to his truck.

He sat in the driver’s seat with the A/C blasting for a while. His leg was bouncing furiously as he held his head in his hands. He couldn’t remember a time when he was so terrified of being around people. Was that from being out in the forest for so long? He hadn’t felt like this when he went to that little tourist town and gotten his groceries and supplies. It had never been a problem before; so why was he losing his cool here?

He shook his head and focused on calming down. When he was finally able to get control of his heartrate, he headed back to the apartment. He was planning on making two trips up to the apartment, but someone poked their head out the front door as Jack was rifling through the grocery bags.

“Hey, you need a hand?” the stranger called.

“I won’t turn it down,” Jack smiled.

The stranger trotted up, cowboy hat flopping about with each step. He grabbed the extra bags that Jack hadn’t been able to fit in his hands and helped close the door to the truck. He followed Jack into the building and down the hallway to where the apartment was. The man tilted his head to the side as they entered, following Jack into the kitchen.

“So, yer the new guys,” the stranger said. “Or, rather, one of ‘em.”

“I am,” Jack smiled as he set his bags down and offered his hand. “Jack Morrison.”

“Jesse McCree,” the man grinned as he shook Jack’s hand. “Nice to meet ya. Don’t see too many new faces around here; Reinhardt is mighty particular about who he grants access.”

“It’s one of his better qualities,” Jack agreed. “But ya, Gabriel and I just moved in.”

“Oh, that’s his name,” Jesse laughed. “I’ve just been callin’ ‘im ‘Restin’ Bitch Face Man’.”

Jack blinked. “Gabe doesn’t have a resting bitch face,” he chirped.

Jesse looked at him before laughing again. “You don’t pay attention too much, do ya?” he teased. “Been meanin’ to come see how you two were settlin’ in. Can’t be easy for Gabriel considerin’ where he was livin’ before. Uh, word gets around here fast, so everyone knows that he was up in the fancypants end of town.”

“He’s adjusting just fine,” Jack said. “It’s going to be rough, but we’ll survive.”

“Glad ta hear it,” Jesse smiled before he started patting his shirt. “You got a pen? Gunna leave ya my number in case you two ever want to go out fer lunch. Great little brunch area a few blocks over. Definitely worth the walk, trust me.”

“Here,” Jack said as he handed Jesse a pen. “I’ll ask Gabe about it. He’s the one with the job right now. My income’s limited as it is and I’d rather not take advantage of his love for me.”

“All in good time,” Jesse smiled at him before scribbling down his number. “Try not to be a stranger.”

“I’ll try,” Jack laughed as he walked Jesse to the door. “And thanks again for helping with groceries.”

“What’re neighbours for?” Jesse grinned as he walked off with a wave.

Jack shook his head as he closed the door to the apartment. He liked Jesse; he hoped the man came around more often.

* * *

 

”Hey, I’m home,” Gabriel called as he shouldered the door open. “Fuck me sideways; that smells amazing! What the fuck did you make?”

Gabriel slunk into the kitchen, smiling at the supper that Jack was spreading out on the table. Jack smiled at him and winked, shifting just enough to block their meal from view.

“Just something I thought you’d like to eat,” he teased. “You’re working so hard that I thought you’d need something good for once that wasn’t boxed or chock full of crap preservatives.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you,” Gabriel teased back as he pulled his uniform off over his head.

He spotted a little slip of paper and picked it up. There was a number scribbled on the scrap and his stomach tightened a little.

“What’s this?” he asked as he turned the numbers towards Jack.

“Hmm?” Jack blinked as he paused halfway through pulling off his apron. “Oh, one of our neighbours. You know; the one that blasts Country music at eight in the morning? He wants to go out to brunch with us sometime.”

Gabriel’s stomach tightened more. “Us,” he said hollowly before throwing the scrap of paper back on the counter. “You mean you.”

“No, us,” Jack frowned. “He said us.”

“But he meant you,” Gabriel snapped. “Fuck, are you that dense, Jack? He was fucking flirting with you and you played into his hands.”

“No, I didn’t,” Jack said. “He said that he wanted to spend time with us since we’re new to the apartments. He even helped bring in the groceries.”

“He was flirting,” Gabriel snapped. “And we both know he’s better looking than me. Just fucking admit it, Jack.”

Jack stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “No one is better looking than you, Gabe.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Morrison,” Gabriel shouted.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline before he walked over. Gabriel tried to back away, glaring up at the taller man. Jack’s big arms wrapped tightly around Gabriel’s shoulders and pulled him in flush against his big, warm chest. Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears burning behind his lashes. He let out a broken noise and Jack hugged him tighter.

“Gabe,” he whispered. “Oh, Gabriel, what’s wrong? What did I do? I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry.”

Gabriel let out a choked sob and clung to the bigger man, wondering why he thought that Jack would just abandon him to the first good looking man that wandered by. Jack was good to him; he was fucking amazing; and Gabriel still thought that Jack was only doing this whole relationship thing for shits and giggles.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to choke out. “I thought…I thought that you…that you weren’t interested in…in me.”

His vowels were elongating as he sobbed, turning each word into a broken keen. Jack scooped him up and wrapped Gabriel’s legs firmly around his waist. He carried him without a word over to the couch and sat down, shifting until they were both lying comfortably.

“Gabe, do you feel that way because of what I said on the drive here?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” Gabriel wailed.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for it to be taken that way,” he apologized. “I just…I want this to work out, but I don’t want you to feel trapped if it doesn’t. We’re human. We don’t always get along with the people we want to. That’s part of being an adult. I just…I’m sorry. It was callouses of me, the way I worded it. I’m so sorry.”

Gabriel whimpered and clung to Jack. “I love you,” he whispered. “I can’t think of life without you.”

“Ssh, Gabe,” Jack kissed his cheek. “Ssh, you don’t have to be dramatic to convince me. I know you do. I love you too, even if I’ve only known you about a month.”

“Feels like a lifetime,” Gabriel laughed and snuggled closer. “I don’t want to think about a life without you.”

“Ssh,” Jack soothed. “It’s okay. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. You’re too precious to me.”

Gabriel smiled and pushes his face between Jack’s pecs. It was soft and warm, just like Jack was under the weathered exterior. He wanted to know all he could about the man and he would work on keeping his jealousy in check. He didn’t think that Jesse was the kind of man that would attempt to break up a couple. If he was, he’d find out fast that Gabriel wasn’t a pushover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Jesse! Way to make yourself known to Gabriel.
> 
> Don't be too rough on Gabe; he's really self-conscious about their relationship.


	9. Chapter 9

“So, you’re the asshole that blasts Country music at eight in the morning,” Gabriel said as he glared the slightly taller man down.

Jesse looked completely stunned as he stood outside the diner smoking a cigarette. He looked from Jack to Gabriel, clearly unsure of how he was supposed to respond to such an aggressive statement. Jack turned and gave Gabriel an affectionate glare before shaking his head.

“Don’t mind Gabe; he doesn’t like it when he doesn’t get at least ten hours of sleep,” Jack teased as he squeezed Gabriel’s hand. “But you do play your music really loud.”

“Sorry; it’s the alarm,” Jesse apologized. “Jesse McCree; nice to finally meet ya, Gabriel.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Gabriel nodded his head. “So, shall we get brunch?”

“Yes!” Jesse laughed. “Yer gunna love this; best waffles this side-a L.A.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Gabriel smiled as he followed Jesse inside.

They headed for the back of the diner, settling down at a table that was small enough for three and wouldn’t be in the way. Gabriel sat down beside Jack and slipped his hand into Jack’s under the table. Jack shot him a curious look before lifting their hands up and settling them on the table where he could kiss over Gabriel’s knuckles whenever he wanted. Gabriel saw the flicker in Jesse’s eyes before he started flirting with the waitress that walked over to hand them menus.

Either he was a regular here and all the women loved him or the waitress adored his accent. She was practically putty in his hands as he flirted with her; he was grinning like a bad boy as she giggled. Gabriel was half-tempted to kick him under the table to get him to stop. Didn’t he know how annoying it was for people to flirt with the wait staff while they were on duty? They were paid to be nice to him; they didn’t necessarily feel anything either which way.

The waitress left to get them coffee and Gabriel did his best not to glare at Jesse as he started flipping through the menu. Jack rubbed his thumb over Gabriel’s knuckles and he smiled at him.

“Gabriel has a job over at the Stardrop Diner,” he said. “First one of us to get a job since moving in. I’m so proud.”

Jesse glanced up him and lifted an eyebrow. Gabriel rolled his eyes at his boyfriend before leaning on his shoulder to look at the menu. He was practically drooling as he stared at what was offered for brunch; he’d never heard of so many delicious things being sold at once and he was half tempted to buy one of everything. If only he had the money to do so.

“It all looks so good,” he said as he licked his lips. “What do you want?”

“I was going to go with the chocolate and strawberry pancakes,” Jack said as he flipped over a page. “Ooh, and maybe some scrambled eggs with toast and sausage. Wonder if it’s the round ones or the flat stuff.”

“Does it matter?” Gabriel asked.

“All a matter of taste,” Jack shrugged.

Gabriel pursed his lips in thought. He heard something crash behind him and a few people screamed. His hand immediately tightened around Jack’s, eyeing his boyfriend carefully. Jack’s eyes had gone wide and his breathing was heavier, but he was still reading the menu in front of him like nothing was wrong.

“You okay?” Gabriel asked quietly.

“Yah,” Jack nodded. “Just a little startled, that’s all. Thanks for asking.”

Gabriel smiled before he leaned over and kissed Jack’s cheek. Jack turned to smile at him and leaned in to peck him on the lips. Gabriel giggled without meaning to, rubbing his nose against Jack’s as they shared another quick kiss. Jesse snickered at them and rested his chin in his hands.

“You’re both just too cute,” he teased. “Who knew grown men could be so adorable?”

“Careful,” Jack warned as he pulled away and folded the menu up. “Gabriel has beaten up men for saying such things.”

“Grr,” Gabriel agreed as the waitress returned with their coffee.

Jack ordered for himself and Gabriel asked for the same thing while shaking a bit of sugar and cream into his coffee. Jack drank his black, closing his eyes as he sipped the hot beverage. Jesse lifted an eyebrow at him before dumping a load of creamer into his coffee.

“Don’t understand people that drink it black,” he said. “Tastes disgusting.”

“That’s coffee for you,” Jack said with a shrug as he set his cup down. “It’s disgusting, but oh so wonderful.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes as Jack and Jesse started talking about cars. He felt like the odd man out immediately as he listened to the two of them talk. They fell into a familiar rhythm, joking and laughing like old friends. Gabriel rested his hands against the warm exterior of his mug, trying not to feel like he didn’t belong with the older men.

“So, what’re you two doin’ here?” Jesse asked. “Reinhardt doesn’t usually take new tenants.”

“Getting our feet back on the ground,” Jack said. “Gabriel…lost his source of income and I’ve just started reintegrating into society.”

“Off on yer own, huh?” Jesse asked. “Soldier?” Jack nodded. “Yah, my Pa was the same way. Couldn’t stand bein’ around anyone after he got back from his tour of duty. Real surly too, but always kept himself in check around us.”

“What happened to him?” Gabriel asked.

“Jail,” Jesse grimaced. “Been there since I was sixteen. He…well, he lost it. Bad. Best place for him was away from the world. I go see him twice a month. Got a sister that visits him more often since she’s still livin’ in Santa Fe. He’s doin’ much better now than he used to.”

“Sorry it had to come to that,” Gabriel grimaced.

Jesse shrugged and smiled. “Hey, he still taught me more than enough to survive,” he chuckled. “Wasn’t a bad man just…life didn’t give him time to recover.”

He lifted his cup in a toast before downing it in a big gulp. Gabriel wished he’d kept his mouth shut and looked down at his cup. The waitress returned with their food, smiling as Jack helped her set everything out. They thanked her before digging in, letting a silence fall between them.

“Where’re your parents, Jack?” Jesse asked.

“Bloomington,” Jack smiled as he shovelled scrambled eggs into his mouth. “Planning on going and seeing them, let them know I’m okay and introduce them to the love of my life.”

Gabriel felt his face blush up. “Charmer,” he grumbled as he nibbled on his toast.

Jack smiled at him before glancing at Jesse. “Gabriel’s parents are in L.A somewhere,” he said. “It’s not a nice subject.”

“More and more of those kinds of parents, unfortunately,” Jesse sighed. “‘Specially if they come from money.”

“How…?” Gabriel looked at him.

“Way you carry yerself, yer tone, yer stance,” Jesse smiled. “Reminds me of the rich kids that liked to act like they owned the school I went to. Not their fault they’re all pricks, mind you. Their parents had a huge part to play in that.” He scratched his throat and sighed. “But, yah, parents with money seem to think they own their kids.”

“Tell me about it,” Gabriel sighed before he stuffed a chunk of bacon into his mouth. “I just hope that I can make a life for myself.”

“You will,” Jesse smiled before he started mopping up his egg with his toast. “I have faith.”

Gabriel smiled back. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

Maybe he could learn to like Jesse.

* * *

 

Jack tucked Gabriel into the bed and smiled. Gabriel had been so nervous about going to lunch with Jesse, but now Jack assumed they were fast friends. They certainly seemed to be hitting it off. He’d have to arrange for more playdates.

He did his best not to laugh at that thought. There he was planning on setting up playdates between his boyfriend and their new friend. He shook his head at his foolishness and turned away.

He crept out of the bedroom and retreated to his own bedroom. Gabriel deserved all the sleep he could get right now and he didn’t need Jack’s big feet and footfalls waking him up.

He grabbed his phone before it started blaring, answering with a smile. “Hey, Mom,” he greeted. “Miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Sarah laughed. “When are you coming to see me, you brat?”

“Soon,” he sighed. “I just…I don’t want to drag him off out on the road again. He’s been through so much.”

“Well, I’m sure some time far away from the city, but surrounded by people that care about him will be just what he needs,” Sarah said.

“No, you just want to terrorize my boyfriend,” Jack smirked. “Just like you did when I brought home every other girlfriend.”

“Oh, honey, I knew those weren’t going to last,” Sarah said. “You were too young.”

“I was twenty-two when I bought Angela home,” he pointed out.

“She was a closeted lesbian,” Sarah snorted.

“Mother,” Jack scolded.

“Doesn’t she have a girlfriend now?” Sarah asked innocently.

“Yes, but you don’t say shit like that!” he laughed. “I’m bi, remember? Dating a man doesn’t magically make me gay.”

“Well, she wasn’t bi; she told you that,” she said.

“Still,” he shook his head. “It’s rude to say that about a person.”

“I stand by my judgement,” Sarah said. “He’s the one for you; I can feel it in my bones.”

“Thanks,” Jack snorted. “And I still stand by my previous statement. There is no ‘the one’. There’re tons of people I could get along with. I just fell in love with Gabriel.”

“Barely dated him a month and already with the ‘love’? You have it bad,” Sarah teased.

“Hey, he’s something special, okay?” Jack huffed as he flopped backwards onto his bed. “And I want you to meet him; I just don’t want to overwhelm him.”

“Well, you may as well get him used to the fact that he’s going to be part of a huge family,” Sarah said. “He’ll be seeing us lots.”

“You’re moving to L.A?” he teased.

“You’re moving back to Indiana; we both know you aren’t a city boy, Jack,” she sighed. “I’m glad you’re getting back on your feet, but Cali is not your territory.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I just….”

“I know,” she said and he could hear her smile. “I know.”

“I’ll see you soon, I promise,” he said. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Jack.”

He said his goodbyes and hung up, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t see himself moving back to Indiana anytime soon. It was too close to home, to the people that he loved and could hurt. He didn’t want that and he didn’t want to uproot Gabriel twice in such a short span of time. No, it was best if they just visited and never stuck around for long.

He nodded to himself as he got up to get changed into his pajamas. It was best if he stayed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give Jesse a chance, Gabe. I'm sure you'll learn to love the big goof.


	10. Chapter 10

“Managed to get the week off,” Gabriel grinned as he dropped onto Jack’s lap, straddling his hips. “So we can go see your parents now.”

Jack did his best not to groan as he felt Gabriel’s bulge rubbing against his own. Gabriel had started to get more insistent about where their relationship was going and Jack couldn’t see the problem with that since they were pushing the three month mark. He was, as always, just worried about hurting the smaller man. The last thing he wanted was to experience a flashback while they were having sex and do something horrible to Gabriel.

“I’m sure they’d love that,” Jack smiled up at him.

“So would I,” Gabriel said as he leaned forward and kissed him. “Mmm, I want to see where you grew up. You know, considering you’re living in my hometown.”

“Not much to get excited about,” Jack confessed as he ran his hands up Gabriel’s shirt and gently squeezed over his pecs. “Lots of cornfields.”

“I don’t mind,” Gabriel said as he pressed another kiss to his lips. “It’s where you were raised and made you the wonder you are. I love it already.”

“You say that now,” Jack shook his head. “Wait until you’re staring at nothing but corn for days on end.”

Gabriel shrugged before he draped himself across Jack’s shoulders. He nuzzled his face into Jack’s neck, wrapping his arms around Jack’s chest. Jack smiled, reaching up to run his fingers through Gabriel’s hair.

“Been thinking about cutting it,” Gabriel murmured.

“I like it long; it suits you,” Jack said as he nuzzled Gabriel’s cheek.

“Mmm, but it’s hard to manage,” Gabriel shrugged. “I’ll think about it if you like it so much.”

“Thanks,” Jack teased before he kissed Gabriel’s cheek. “We should pack. It’s a long drive.”

“Mmm,” Gabriel sighed. “But you’re so warm.”

“Not my fault you’re an ice cube in the middle of L.A,” Jack said as he slowly stood up, holding Gabriel’s securely under the bottom so that he wouldn’t fall.

Gabriel giggled in his ear as Jack headed for his bedroom. They managed to find enough clothing for him to pack before Jack stuffed a few shirts, jeans, and underwear into a duffle bag. He was positive he still had clothing at the farmhouse and he had access to a washing machine too, so he wasn’t too worried. They packed a few other items for the trip before making themselves supper.

“So, what should I be worried about?” Gabriel asked as he chopped up some bell peppers.

“My parents are going to tease you mercilessly,” Jack warned. “And I mean it. You won’t go an hour without someone ribbing you.”

“Sweet,” Gabriel grinned. “Any siblings?”

“Hanzo and Genji. Adopted,” Jack said.

“Those are some…different names,” Gabriel blinked.

“Mom and Dad adopted them from Japan. There was some sort of gang bust over there and the government decided that the kids of the families involved were better off leaving the country,” he said. “So, I was ten when Hanzo and Genji came into the family.”

Gabriel stared at him before he grinned widely. “Sweet!”

Jack smiled as he started frying up the chicken. Gabriel was looking forward to meeting his family. Maybe he was hoping that Jack’s family would be more accepting of him than his own family had been. He personally hoped that was the case. He loved Gabriel, so his parents should love him too.

He was terrified that they wouldn’t. That they would judge Gabriel as harshly as his parents had. He loved his parents to pieces and knew that they would support him no matter what, but he didn’t know how they would react to Gabriel’s indecisiveness about where he wanted to go with his life. He hoped they would be supportive.

He didn’t sleep all night. He kept turning every possible scenario over in his head, each one worse than the last. His hands were shaking as he poured himself coffee, trying to focus on what Gabriel was excitedly talking about. He could barely follow a single train of thought, so he left it wherever they fell and tried instead to just make it through the morning.

“You okay?” Gabriel asked as they climbed into Jack’s truck.

“Yah, just tired,” Jack yawned.

“Want me to drive?” Gabriel offered.

“I should be okay,” Jack smiled at him. “But I’ll let you know if that changes.”

Gabriel gave him a sweet smile and Jack hoped that he wasn’t lying to himself.

* * *

 

Gabriel had to fight Jack into taking a nap in the front seat, but he managed it. Gabriel had to work hard not to stare at Jack while he was resting; he looked so much younger while his face was relaxed. Jack clearly hadn’t gotten any sleep last night; probably worrying about everything and anything that could go wrong with their visit.

Gabriel shook his head in amusement and stared out the windshield. He wasn’t scared of meeting Jack’s parents. He knew that only good people could have possibly raised a man like Jack. There was no way that parents like his would have been able to produce someone as good and pure as his Jackie. Even if he seemed to think he was a terrible person, Gabriel knew he wasn’t.

He was just passing over the border from California into New Mexico when Jack let out a loud gasp. Gabriel maneuvered the truck to the side of the road as Jack’s fingers latched onto the dashboard and started digging in until his knuckles were white. Sweat was dripping down his face as Gabriel threw the truck into park and reached for him.

“Hey, hey,” he whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Don’t touch me,” Jack hissed as he pulled away from Gabriel’s hands.

Gabriel held his hands up with the palm towards Jack and slowly pulled them back to him. Jack turned his face down towards his lap and sucked air in furiously through his nose. He let out a strangled noise before he wrenched the door open on his side and hopped out of the truck. Gabriel turned the truck off and followed him, locking the truck behind him, just in case.

Jack started pacing up and down the ditch, his expression pinched and anxious. Gabriel stood by the truck, his hands in his pockets. He had no idea how to approach Jack in a way that wasn’t going to get him punched.

“Jack?” he asked. “Hey, you okay?”

“No, I’m not,” Jack snapped. “Stuck in a fucking tin can in the middle of fuckass nowhere…!”

“You aren’t stuck,” Gabriel murmured. “We’re going to see your parents, remember?”

Jack turned to glare at him and Gabriel forced a smile to his face. He watched the snarl play across Jack’s face before he reached up to rub furiously between his eyebrows. He nodded his head sharply before he turned and stomped further along the ditch.

Gabriel leaned against the truck to wait for his boyfriend to come back. He had some water waiting, knowing that fuming in this sort of weather would just make everything worse. Jack returned a short while later, his metaphorical tail tucked between his legs. Gabriel smiled and offered him a water bottle, not at all worried about Jack’s reaction.

“Sorry,” Jack murmured as he took the water.

“Nightmare?” Gabriel asked.

“Yah,” Jack sighed as he leaned against the truck. “Didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“I know,” Gabriel said as he rested a hand on Jack’s arm. “I don’t blame you, Jack. You can’t help how you react.”

“I can,” Jack sighed. “I shouldn’t freak out like that.”

“Why not?” Gabriel shrugged. “I think it’s perfectly rational to wake up screaming from a nightmare considering your history.”

Jack’s hand tightened around the water bottle. “I don’t want to be controlled by this,” he growled. “I want to be able to enjoy life. I deserve to enjoy it.”

“You will,” Gabriel promised before he reached down and took Jack’s free hand. “But it’ll take time.”

“Since when do you know so much about PTSD?” Jack glared at him.

“I did some research,” Gabriel smiled. “I wanted to be able to help you the next time you had an episode. You know, aside from hold your hand and hope you didn’t try to do a field stitching on me.”

Jack let out a snort and downed the last of the water. “Don’t know why you want to bother,” he grumbled. “Hardly worth the effort.”

“Don’t say that,” Gabriel scolded as he squeezed Jack’s hand. “You’re more than worth it to me.”

“You sure?” Jack asked with a sad smile. “Not too late to run for it.”

“I don’t plan on doing any such thing,” Gabriel snorted. “I’m with you ‘til the end.”

“I hope it doesn’t come sooner rather than later,” Jack sighed. “Come on; let’s get lunch and get going. I’ll drive.”

* * *

 

Jack groaned as Gabriel climbed on top of him in the motel room they had rented. His eyes were blown wide, his lip settled between his teeth. He rubbed his hips against Jack’s, whimpering softly at the friction.

“Jack…please?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Jack nodded before he pulled Gabriel down into a kiss. “Mmm, condom and lube.”

“Way ahead of you,” Gabriel purred against his lips before he pulled away.

Jack smiled as Gabriel leaned over the bed and dug around in his suitcase. He came up with a condom and a small bottle of lube, grinning as he gave both a wiggle. Jack sat up a little bit and kissed Gabriel again, gently pulling both items out of his hands and setting them to the side. His mouth moved slowly down Gabriel’s throat, nuzzling and nipping at the bronze flesh. Gabriel gasped softly and his hands darted up into Jack’s hair, tugging slightly as if to make Jack stop.

“Want me to stop?” Jack asked.

“No?” Gabriel whispered. “I don’t know. You know what you’re doing and I…I don’t? Really?”

“Only ever been the giver?” Jack asked.

“Not used to doing it with a muscular man,” Gabriel swallowed.

“Mmm,” Jack smiled as he pulled away. “Want to play with them?”

“Yes?” Gabriel grinned.

Jack pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side, running a hand down his chest so that Gabriel could watch the muscles move. Gabriel’s eyes widened hungrily before he leaned forward. His fingers were shaking as they ran slowly over his chest, squeezing slowly. Jack let out a soft groan as he felt the fingers dig into the taunt muscles, the curious fingers quick to pull away before they left red welts.

“You like?” Jack purred.

“Yah,” Gabriel whispered. “You’re amazing.”

“Lot of hard work,” Jack agreed.

“I have a lumberjack as a boyfriend,” Gabriel grinned before he leaned forward and kissed Jack’s pale flesh. “This is a wet dream.”

“It’s about to get better,” Jack teased before he pulled Gabriel’s shirt off and smiled. “Well, look at that.”

Gabriel blushed and looked away, nervously crossing his arms over his hairy chest. “It’s not that interesting,” he said. “I’m just….”

“Beautiful,” Jack soothed as he leaned forward and kissed down Gabriel’s chest. “Every inch of you.”

“You sure?” Gabriel whispered. “I’m not in shape like you.”

“I like it,” Jack smiled up at him. “It’s you. All of you. No matter what. I love it. But, if you’re worried about your physique, I can help you get into shape.”

“I’d like that,” Gabriel smiled. “So long as you aren’t a drill sergeant.”

“I make no promises,” Jack grinned before he kissed over Gabriel’s soft naval. “Now, why don’t you show me what’s at the end of the treasure trail?”

Gabriel giggled as he blushed and quickly kicked his way free of his jeans and underwear. He was only at half-mast, but Jack knew a few well-placed kisses would change that quickly. He ran his hand slowly over Gabriel’s cock, squeezing slightly as he toyed with the foreskin. Gabriel let out a breathless noise before he slowly bucked his hips into Jack’s hand.

“Your hand…so rough,” Gabriel bit his lip.

“Good?”

“Very,” Gabriel grinned. “Can I see you?”

Jack nodded as he pulled away. He peeled himself out of his jeans and underwear and did his best not to smirk at Gabriel’s slack-jawed expression. He gave himself a good, stiff stroke before he leaned back on his elbows to show off.

“Everything you were hoping for?” he asked.

“You’re so thick,” Gabriel whispered as he leaned forward. “I don’t…holy shit.”

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry,” Jack soothed. “Unless you want to wait.”

“No,” Gabriel shook his head before he wrapped both hands around Jack’s cock and started pumping it. “I want this bad boy in me.”

“Mmm,” Jack leaned his head back as Gabriel shifted down to start kissing around the base of his cock. “I can deliver, I hope.”

Gabriel shot him a grin around the cock resting against his cheek before returning to kissing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times at the end~ But not too detailed ;p


	11. Chapter 11

“Jack!”

Jack smiled as he was pulled into a tight hug by his mother. He’d barely knocked on the door when it had been thrown open and the little blonde-going-gray haired woman had flung herself into his arms. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her rose shampoo; he’d never known her to have any other scented shampoo in his life and it was a comfort to know that hadn’t changed.

She squeezed him tightly, whimpering softly against his chest. “I missed you,” she whispered before she pulled away. “And look at your beard! Your father is going to be jealous!”

Jack let out a soft chuckle as he stroked his beard. He would be the first to admit that it was an impressive feat for him. He’d always grown such scraggly beards that he’d shave them before they even grew a quarter of an inch. Now, though, he had a fantastic beautiful beard to call his own.

“Oh! And you must be Gabriel!”

Uh oh.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Morrison,” Gabriel said with a smile.

“No need to be so formal,” Sarah laughed and wrinkled her nose. “Just call me ‘Sarah’.”

“Alright,” Gabriel agreed.

Sarah shot Jack a look before she grabbed them by the front of their shirts and dragged them into the house. “John! Our sons are here!”

“I was only missing one,” John laughed. “But it’s good to know you already adopted the boyfriend!”

Jack stumbled behind his mother into the living room and beelined for his father. John caught him before he stumbled into his lap, hugging him tight enough to squeeze the air out of his lungs. Jack felt tears pricking his eyes as he hugged John back, burying his face in his father’s hay-scented shirt.

“Hey, Dad,” he whispered.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” John said as he pulled away. “And look at you. Finally filled out, I see. And grew that impressive Scottish beard.”

“Had to grow in at some point; just needed to be out in the middle of nowhere for it to happen,” Jack chuckled. “Living off the land in the mountains; what a typical Morrison I am.”

John gave him a fond smile, tears leaking out of the corners of his blue eyes. He squeezed Jack’s shoulder before turning to offer his hand to Gabriel. Gabriel shyly took his hand and let himself be pulled down onto the couch between Jack and John. Jack kissed his boyfriend’s cheek before resting his chin on the top of Gabriel’s head.

“Mom, Dad; this is Gabriel, the man that managed to pull me out of the wilds and back into civilization,” he said.

“Hello,” Gabriel said as he pressed up against Jack’s chest. “You raised an amazing son.”

John stared down at Gabriel with a neutral expression long enough to make Jack’s hands start sweating. Then, a slow, affectionate smile spread across his face. Relief washed through Jack and he almost sank to the ground in relief; his father approved.

 “You must tell me all about how you met my little devil. He has been skimpy on the details and I won’t stand for it while he’s under my roof,” John teased as he squeezed Gabriel’s hand.

“Uh oh,” Jack laughed as Gabriel laughed. “You’re screwed now, darling.”

“Totally cool,” Gabriel squeaked as he was tucked comfortably against John’s side.

Jack could see the blush spreading up his boyfriend’s face as John demanded details on how they met. The poor guy didn’t know how to handle himself when he was face to face with his boyfriend’s older look-alike. Jack really should have warned him about it, but it had completely slipped his mind.

He’d hear about it later, he was sure. For now, he was just going to enjoy the time he had with his family. It had really been too long since he’d gotten to see them.

* * *

 

“Dad! Put that bale down! You shouldn’t even be throwing something that heavy at your age!”

“Bah!”

Gabriel sat on the porch with Sarah and Genji, staring at Jack and John hauled bales of hay off of a loader that a neighbour had drove up. Hanzo was trying to help, his face screwed up against the sweat dripping down his forehead as he struggled with the surprisingly heavy bales. Hanzo and Genji were both handsome young men; Hanzo was far more broody than Genji was, although both had remarkably handsome smiles. They were strong men, but they were nothing compared to the powerhouses that were the Morrison men.

He had felt John’s muscles around his shoulders while he told him about Jack rescuing him from a Grizzly; Sarah had chewed him out for being so foolish; but to see them in action was something else. John had to be pushing sixty if he wasn’t already past it; he’d been too scared to ask; but he still had a body made for hard work.

“I know,” Sarah giggled. “It gets me every time.”

“Is it a Morrison thing?” Gabriel asked.

“It is,” Sarah said as she handed him lemonade. “I checked his photo album when we were dating all those years ago and all the men in his family were big and strong.”

“Fuck,” Gabriel whistled as he sipped his lemonade. “It’s bad enough they look alike.”

“Don’t worry; you’ll spot the differences soon enough,” Sarah soothed. “Did you notice that John’s nose is broken?”

“So’s Jack’s,” Gabriel frowned.

“Jack’s is broken up here,” Sarah touched her nose up towards her eyes. “But John’s is on an angle here,” she touched closer to the bulb of her nose. “He won’t tell me where he got it, the bastard, and I’ve never been able to figure it out. But, don’t worry, Gabriel; we all love watching our boys work. You’re doing great, John!”

Even from a distance, Gabriel could see the salute given in Sarah’s direction as John chucked a bale as hard as he could towards the barn. Gabriel let out a nervous giggle as Hanzo and Jack started berating John for flipping their mother the bird, but John didn’t seem to notice.

“So, how did you meet?” Gabriel asked as he glanced at Sarah.

“Well, John and I grew up together in Bloomington, but we weren’t friends until the end of high school. I went off to college and he broke his back working the land out here. Then, well, I came back and started teaching and almost tripped over John at the grocery store. We started talking and dating and the rest is a rather beautiful, if not eye-roll inducing, history,” she finished as she glanced at John.

Gabriel followed her line of sight and immediately blushed up. Jack and John had stripped out of their shirts and were now whipping bales around faster than Hanzo could keep up. He had retreated from the loader and was tossing bales onto the escalator heading up into the loft of the barn. Gabriel wasn’t sure if he was shameless enough to start fanning himself, but he felt better about it when he saw Sarah doing the same.

He thought he caught Jack’s eye for a half-second and felt himself turn even redder as a wicked grin spread across Jack’s face. He grabbed his water bottle off of the edge of the loader and took a deep drag from it. Gabriel swallowed thickly as he watched Jack’s Adam’s apple bob. There was something horrible sexual about the action and he felt his pants tightening at the sight.

“Oh, that is cheating,” Sarah tutted. “Boy takes after his father.”

“John does the same thing?” Gabriel squeaked.

“Oh, yes. The bastard will do something horribly sexy when he knows I’m watching. He won’t right now since you’re here too, but mark my words, he’ll take the chance when it’s offered to him.”

Gabriel smiled at Sarah as Genji started shouting at Hanzo to put his back into his work. Hanzo flipped him off, shouting that his broken foot wouldn’t excuse him from chores forever. Sarah shook her head and reached out to tap on Genji’s nose, gently scolding him for being a little shit.

* * *

 

Jack grunted as Gabriel tackled him onto the bed and started kissing him furiously. “You are a dirty, rotten cheater,” Gabriel snarled in between the bouts of kissing. “How could you do that to me in front of your family?”

“Do what?” Jack teased as he gently squeezed Gabriel’s rump and shifted onto the bed so he could support their weight better.

“You know what!” Gabriel snarled before he pulled away to glower at him. “You just had to be shirtless, didn’t you? You just had to show off that amazing body and make it super awkward that I was popping a boner while I was sitting with your Mother!”

“I was making you horny just by being shirtless?” Jack asked innocently before he pulled Gabriel down for a kiss. “Ssh, it was all in good fun. I doubt she even cared that I was showing off for you.”

“She knew,” Gabriel hissed. “She knew you were showing off.”

“Did she tease you about it?” Jack asked.

“No, Sarah was too busy drooling over John,” Gabriel huffed. “It’s not fair that you and your dad look alike and are smoking hot.”

“It’s the family curse,” Jack smiled before he shifted again, holding Gabriel’s hips securely against his own. “Trust me, once the shock wears off, you’ll just see a tired old man in need of retirement.”

“I hope so,” Gabriel huffed. “I don’t need confused feelings for your dad. He’s old enough to be my grandfather. I don’t need those kind of feelings in my head.”

Jack chuckled and kissed him again, slowly peeling him out of his jeans. His fingers kneaded into Gabriel’s ass, gently easing the tension out of his glutes. Gabriel sighed happily against his mouth, shifting to grind their bulges together. His eyes were soft when they parted and he let out a long sigh of delight.

“You’re amazing,” Gabriel murmured. “I love you so much, Jack.”

“And I love you too,” Jack said and kissed him again. “But we should rest, not get frisky. I have to get up early to help with chores.”

“You aren’t here a day and you’re already being drafted,” Gabriel teased.

“Welcome to farmlife,” Jack shrugged before he shifted to safely drop Gabriel onto the bed next to him.

“You want me to help?” Gabriel asked.

“Take the day to recover,” Jack soothed. “I’ll show you how to milk a cow once you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep.”

“Yay, cows,” Gabriel grinned before he snuggled in against Jack’s chest. “Is it wrong if I tell you I might be developing an oral fixation?”

“How so?” Jack asked.

“I want to suck on your pecs,” Gabriel whispered before burying his face in the pillow. “I’m sorry! They just look so soft and…I’m sorry!”

Jack blinked before he looked down at his chest. He’d honestly never heard anyone say that before and, while it was certainly strange, it was also rather endearing. He pursed his lips for a moment before pulling his shirt off and playfully squeezing himself.

“Well, who am I to not indulge you?” he teased.

Gabriel stared at him before nervously nuzzling his face against one of Jack’s pecs. His lips brushed softly over Jack’s nipple and Jack shivered at the touch. Then, Gabriel’s mouth latched carefully over the entirety of Jack’s nipple and started sucking slowly.

It was the strangest, most erotic sensation Jack had ever experienced. He let out a soft gasp, blinking at the wall as Gabriel suckled. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he started running his fingers through Gabriel’s hair.

“That feels good,” he murmured.

Gabriel shifted closer, suckling just a little bit harder before pulling away to press kisses against the warm flesh. Jack smiled, looking down as Gabriel made his way over to the other pec. He nuzzled the mound of flesh before gently taking the other perky nipple into his mouth. Jack let out a soft stuttered breath before he leaned back so that his shoulders were resting against the headboard.

“I could get used to this,” he murmured. “I like your oral fixation.”

Gabriel pulled away to give him a shy smile before pressing in close to cover his lips and chin with kisses. Yes, he was definitely going to get used to this sort of affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is drooling over his hot boyfriend. And has confused feelings for his dad.


	12. Chapter 12

Gabriel smiled as Sarah sat down beside him. Jack and John were mucking out the barn, shouting loudly at each other about them throwing shit into the stall they just cleaned. Sarah offered him a mug of coffee and he gladly took it, sipping the warm beverage slowly.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she said after a few moments. “And not just the men. The whole fields and forests make it feel more like home than my home ever was.”

“I know what you mean,” Gabriel murmured. “I felt more at home in Jack’s little cottage than I ever did in my parents’ house. It’s just so…peaceful. The only expectation is that you live here and look after the house.”

Sarah nodded as she folded her legs under herself on the porch swing. She closed her eyes for a moment as she sipped her coffee. She was the picture of perfect doting wife enjoying a moment of peace in the early morning. When she opened her eyes again, they were curious.

“Tell me, Gabriel; would you be happy out here?” she asked.

“I think I would be, so long as I had Jack to help me not die immediately,” Gabriel smiled.

“You learn fast, don’t worry,” Sarah laughed. “I had grown up in town, but I learned how to muck a barn and plant a garden very fast.”

Gabriel managed a laugh before he sipped his coffee again. “How old is John?” he asked.

“Sixty-two,” Sarah sighed. “He was older when we had Jack. I think he regrets it some days since he’s afraid he’ll die before Jack’s ready to be alone.”

“Jack was by himself in the hinterlands,” Gabriel pointed out.

“But he could call to make sure we were okay,” Sarah said. “I don’t know what he’ll do when he can’t hear his father’s voice anymore.”

Gabriel shuddered at the thought. Would he have been able to manage something like that if he had been on good terms with his parents? Probably not; his parents had meant everything to him before it became clear that he wasn’t worth that much to them. Now, he just felt a little hollow where they used to sit in his heart.

“I can’t imagine what that’ll be like for him,” Gabriel murmured. “I just hope I’m there to help him through it when it happens.”

“I’m sure you will be; Morrisons don’t choose their partners lightly,” Sarah mused before she sipped her coffee. “And neither do Reyes, I expect.”

Gabriel shot her a warm smile before he looked back at the barn. Hanzo was helping spread straw around the stalls now, barely looking at Jack as they worked. He knew something was going on underneath that dour exterior, but he didn’t know Hanzo well enough to even guess at what was going through his mind.

Sarah let out a hum before she got to her feet. She vanished inside with her mug and Gabriel wondered what she was up to. She returned shortly after with a change of shirt for John and Jack, smirking as both man headed towards them.

“I’ll kill you if you step into my house with those filthy clothes on,” she said as they walked up onto the porch.

“I’m clean,” Jack huffed as he obeyed his mother anyways.

“I can smell cow dung when it enters my house,” Sarah said sagely. “You cannot fool me.”

“True,” Jack sighed before he pulled the new shirt on. “Is this Dad’s? It’s half a size too small.”

“Your tits are just that big,” Hanzo snapped as he stalked past.

“Yah, fuck you too, shortass,” Jack snorted at him.

Gabriel lifted an eyebrow at Jack, wondering what he had done to warrant that behaviour, but Jack had already gone inside. Gabriel followed him, hoping that his boyfriend wasn’t angry. He bit his lip as he shuffled up behind Jack and pressed his face between the big back muscles. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, biting his lip nervously. He relaxed as Jack’s warm hand settled over his and squeezed.

“Hey,” Jack glanced back at him. “You okay?”

“Yah,” Gabriel smiled up at him. “You?”

“Peachy,” Jack smiled. “My brother’s just being an ass, that’s all. Don’t let him get to you.”

“I won’t,” Gabriel promised. “So, now that the barn’s all clean, you going to teach me how to milk a cow?”

Jack shot him a smirk and shook his head. “What, right now?” he teased. “Alright, my eager little milkmaid; let’s go see if one of the girls will let us play around with her udder. If not, we’ll have to wait a little bit for them to come in for the night.”

Gabriel grinned and followed Jack back out to the barn. He looked for the old fashion milk pail and was delighted when Jack retrieved it from beside the door. One of the cows was munching away at some hay in a stall, completely content to be inside out of the heat of the day. Her big eyes watched him curiously as Jack opened the stall. Jack gently took her halter and tied her off, turning her enough for Gabriel to see her udder.

“She kicks,” Jack warned. “So don’t forget to keep an eye on her legs.”

“Right,” Gabriel said as he set the stool down and put the bucket under the cow’s udder. “Now, how do I do this?”

Jack left the cow’s head to help Gabriel with his hands. Gabriel grinned the entire time, loving the soft feeling of the cow’s udder against his palms. He got the hang of it quickly, even managing to avoid getting kicked when the old girl got antsy. Jack kissed Gabriel’s forehead for a job well done when there was no more milk to be had.

“What’s Hanzo’s problem?” Gabriel asked as Jack went to put the milk into storage. “He’s really…I don’t know, bitter?”

“No idea,” Jack shrugged. “Probably just has a stick up his ass because I have the hot boyfriend and he doesn’t. You know, typical stupid brother things.”

“What is his type?” Gabriel cocked his head to the side. “You know, assuming he has one, the cranky asshole.”

“Jesse McCree,” Jack said with a wink. “He loves those Southern gentlemen.”

Gabriel stared at Jack before a wicked grin spread across his face. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” he whispered.

“Way ahead of you,” Jack winked again before he pulled out his cellphone.

* * *

 

“I know a cowboy,” Jack said as he leaned back on the couch beside Hanzo.

“What?”

He knew that would get his attention. Sure, Hanzo was going to be suspicious because why would Jack say something like that out of the blue, but it definitely had his attention. Now to lay the bait down and see if Hanzo was ready to bite.

“I know a cowboy,” Jack repeated. “The genuine article, too. He’s living in L.A for now, but I’m sure he’ll head back home soon enough.”

“You’re lying,” Hanzo growled. “Do you think it’s funny to tease me, Jack?”

“Not at all,” Jack said before he flicked over to a picture of Jesse and tilted his phone towards Hanzo. “There. See?”

Hanzo’s mouth fell open in shock as he stared at the picture winking at him. Jesse had been a little drunk when Jack had snapped the picture, but it captured his laid-back attitude perfectly. Hanzo’s mouth flapped for a moment before he looked at Jack desperately.

“I need his number,” he whispered. “Please.”

“I don’t know,” Jack mused as he gave his cellphone a wiggle. “I’d hate to give Jesse the number to a stranger so that they could harass him about his cowboy roots.”

“That’s not what I’m going to do and you know it,” Hanzo snapped. “Please, Jack!”

“Fine,” Jack smiled. “On one condition.”

“What?”

“You stop giving Gabriel the stink eye every time he’s in the room,” Jack said before he loomed over Hanzo. “Because I’m getting sick of it. I don’t care what your personal opinions are of mine and Gabriel’s relationship, but you keep those nasty looks to yourself. Got it?”

“Done,” Hanzo said before he held his own phone out. “Number. Now.”

Jack gave him the number, having already ran the idea by Jesse to begin with. Hanzo immediately scampered out of the room, staring at his phone as he texted rapid fire. Jack glanced down at his phone as Jesse sent him a “score!” text.

“You look like the cat that got the cream,” Sarah commented as she walked by. “What did you do?”

“Just played matchmaker,” Jack replied innocently. “But, it’s not my fault if it doesn’t work out.”

Sarah frowned, but didn’t comment as she continued on into the kitchen to check on her pie. Jack smirked before he got to his feet and stretched, groaning happily as he headed outside to see what madness Gabriel had gotten up to.

He was a little surprised to find him and John sitting on the porch swing whittling. John had always whittled; he hated sitting and not doing something and whittling outside was the perfect pastime for him; but Jack hadn’t realized that Gabriel would be interested in it. He was still honing his technique, but he was doing better than Jack had ever done.

“Bonding time?” Jack asked as he settled down beside Gabriel.

“Yup,” John said as he dusted wood chips off of his lap. “Gabriel is very good with a knife. I’d be worried if I wasn’t so impressed.”

“I took woodworking in high school,” Gabriel smiled. “It was so much fun.”

“Kid after my own heart,” John teased before he looked at what Gabriel was working on. “Not bad.”

“Thanks,” Gabriel smiled at him. “I had a great teacher.”

“And he’s a charmer,” John laughed before he set his current project aside. “So, how long are you planning on staying, Jack?”

“At least a few more days,” Jack smiled at his father. “It’s a two day drive back so I want to have a little bit of leeway before Gabe has to be back at work.”

“Fair enough,” John smiled before he got to his feet with a groan. “I’ll leave you two to enjoy the sunset. Supper should be done soon.”

“Thanks,” Jack smiled as he pulled Gabriel closer to him and kissed his temple. “We’ll be in soon.”

John waved and headed inside, leaving Jack and Gabriel to enjoy the sunset. Gabriel sighed happily and snuggled against Jack’s side, his eyes closing slowly as he stared out over the fields.

“I like it here,” he murmured. “It feels like home.”

“Well, maybe we’ll move to Bloomington,” Jack teased. “It’s close by so you can enjoy my parents whenever you want.”

“I’d like that,” Gabriel murmured. “Just the two of us being able to see people who love us.”

Jack smiled as he held Gabriel close. “I’ll think about it,”

Gabriel let out a happy sigh before he snuggled closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Gabe play matchmaker to get Hanzo to stop glaring at Gabe. He's super protective of his brother XD


	13. Chapter 13

Gabriel wasn’t sure which part surprised him more; the simple but filling fare that Sarah cooked or the fact that he couldn’t get enough of it. He was used to rather complex and delicious foods covered in spices and glazes that just thinking about would make your mouth water. Sarah made due with what she grew in her garden and a few store bought spices that were pleasant to the palate. It wasn’t anything special, but it blended perfectly with everything set in front of him and he loved it.

He licked his lips as he finished off his second plate, worried about looking like a pig if he asked for another helping. Sarah smirked at him knowingly before she stood up and collected his plate. Jack bumped his elbow and smiled reassuringly as he tried to follow Sarah and protest.

“Eat as much as you want; no one cares,” Jack murmured in his ear. “Besides, I’m going for thirds soon too.”

“So, you are living in Los Angeles?” Hanzo asked as he mopped up the gravy on his plate with a hunk of bread.

“Yup,” Jack said. “I think it’ll only be temporary, though. Gabriel likes the area.”

“It’s a long way from home, though,” Gabriel said as he scratched nervously at his jaw.

“Only one little plane hop,” Sarah called from the counter. “So, it’s really only a few hours when you look at it that way.”

“True,” Gabriel smiled. “And it’s not like I’m leaving anyone important behind.”

Jack smiled at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Gabriel leaned into the touch, returning Jack’s tender smile with his own. He heard John let out a teasing ‘aw’ before Genji smacked his arm to get him to stop, whining that he was being gross. Hanzo’s lips were pursed as Gabriel turned back to the table, but he didn’t say anything as he leaned back and pulled out his phone.

“Who ya texting?” Genji grinned as he leaned over to peek.

“No one that concerns you,” Hanzo snapped as he pulled his phone away. “He is a friend.”

“A special friend?” Genji grinned wider.

Hanzo’s ears turned red and John leaned forward to stop Genji from pestering him further. Gabriel had to applaud John and Sarah’s ability to make their boys behave; there was no way in hell his mother wouldn’t have sent him off without eating if he had acted that way around guests. Genji settled back with a pout, glaring at Hanzo while he texted away.

“So,” John smiled as Sarah returned with another full plate for Gabriel. “I was thinking, if you wanted to move back to Bloomington, you could take over the farm.”

“What?” Jack’s head snapped up.

The table went deathly quiet and Gabriel was suddenly terrified to cut into the ham in front of him. He glanced at Jack, took in his tense posture, and slowly reached out to rub soothing circles into the back of his hand. He almost yelped as Jack’s hand twisted and clamped tightly around his, pinning it to the table as he squeezed like he was getting a needle he was scared of. Gabriel swallowed and glanced around the table before shifting closer to offer his comfort.

“I was offering you the farm,” John said, his voice even and calm in spite of the rigidity of his back.

“You’re still working it,” Jack said. “You don’t need me to take over. You’ve said that yourself the other day.”

“That’s an old man running his mouth in front of his young and able son,” John smirked. “We both know I’m getting too old for this. Keeping the farm in the family has always been my hope.”

“Then I’ll buy the house off of you when I have the money,” Jack said flatly.

“I’m not going to make you pay for the house, Jack,” John wrinkled his nose. “The only thing that’s had to be paid on this old girl is property taxes and the farm pays for that with ease. You’d get it for free. Just like I got it from my father.”

“I’ve dug into your pockets more than enough,” Jack snapped. “I’m not going to make you hand over an investment like this.”

“You haven’t dug into my pockets,” John said. “And I don’t want to sell the house; I want to pass her along to the next Morrison in the line.”

“The money from selling this house would set you up for life,” Jack countered. “You and I know that. We both know you need it.”

“I don’t _need_ anything,” John snapped. “I have my family, my pride, and the knowledge that I raised a courageous and wonderful boy. Money is just there to keep these old bones from feeling the cold.”

“You should have been able to retire years ago,” Jack snarled as he got to his feet. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t still be stuck here.”

“Wasn’t for you?” John demanded as he got to his feet, mirroring Jack’s tense stance. “Johnathan Hope, do you really think I’m going to be angry with you because I paid a few medical expenses?”

“Those medical expenses ate up all of your savings,” Jack said. “I saw the bills. I know what I did.”

“You didn’t do anything,” John said. “It wasn’t your fault you got blown up while serving your country. I’d rather have you alive….”

“You shouldn’t have had to dig into your savings for me!” Jack shouted. “I should have been able to cover everything myself. Your life shouldn’t have been made difficult because of my fuck up!”

“It wasn’t a fuck up,” John said.

“It was!” Jack shouted. “I was the commanding officer; I shouldn’t have been brash and stupid and…!”

“Jack,” Gabriel whispered as he got to his feet and hugged him tightly around the chest, “it’s okay.”

Jack deflated in Gabriel’s arms, sinking down into his seat with a broken sob. John sat back down, the fight gone out of him as quickly as it had left Jack. His eyes were full of tears, but he wasn’t crying as the rest of the family watched on silently. Sarah rubbed her hands together slowly before she cleared her throat.

“Jack, we knew when we became parents that it wasn’t just a fair-weather affair,” she said. “John and I will stop at nothing to make sure you’re safe and well-cared for. The hospital bills were expensive, yes, and set us back a few years, but it was something we were prepared to do. We would never make you feel guilty for it; we’d do it again without a moment’s hesitation. We love you so much, Jack; never forget that.”

Sarah got to her feet and headed for the kitchen, probably to grab dessert to help soothe everyone’s nerves. Gabriel kissed Jack’s cheek, watching as the older man swallowed thickly and hiccupped softly. His big hands settled on Gabriel’s hand before he wiped at his eyes. He sat up in his seat, swallowing loudly again as he stared ahead of him.

Sarah returned with a massive pie in each hand and set them on the table. Gabriel looked down at his full plate of food and pouted a little before he started eating his third helping. He’d be the last to taste the pie, but he was going to taste it, damn it. That delicious pie was going in his mouth even if it made him sick.

* * *

 

Jack curled up under the covers and did his best to pretend he didn’t exist. Gabriel was still downstairs with his family, probably enjoying a nice evening with people that weren’t complete fuck-ups. He hadn’t followed Jack upstairs when he’d retreated after supper, so Jack figured he wasn’t ready to deal with Jack’s stupidity.

He closed his eyes and fought back tears, sucking air in angrily through his teeth. A broken sob was welling up in his chest, but he didn’t want to cry again. He’d already broken down in front of his whole family. He didn’t want to do that again even though there was no one there to see him.

“Jack?” Gabriel called as he crept into the room. “Is it…okay to come to bed?”

“Not gunna stop you,” Jack croaked out. “Your bed too.”

“Still,” Gabriel murmured as he stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed behind him. “I don’t want to force you to be around me if you want some time alone.”

Jack didn’t say anything as Gabriel’s arms wrapped slowly around his waist. Gabriel’s slim frame pressed in against his back and Gabriel’s face snuggled into the space between his cheek and his shoulder. Gabriel’s breath was warm against his neck and he swallowed painfully at the feeling of it.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Jack whispered. “Doesn’t paint me in the best light.”

“Why?” Gabriel asked as he turned his head to kiss Jack’s cheek. “It’s not your fault you needed to be hospitalized and our country still doesn’t have a decent health care system which caused your parents to pay an arm and a leg to cover the costs.”

“They shouldn’t have had to,” Jack whispered.

“No, they shouldn’t have,” Gabriel agreed as he wiggled until he was straddling Jack’s hips and looking down into his eyes. “But that’s what family does, isn’t it?”

Jack stared into Gabriel’s eyes before he looked away. “I’m supposed to be looking after them now,” he murmured. “I’m grown and they’re growing old.”

“Jack,” Gabriel cooed before leaning down to kiss him. “Jack, you’ve shown me what a real family does for one another. If your parents didn’t care about you, you wouldn’t love them so much, right? So, wouldn’t they love you enough to still care about you when you needed it and not expect anything in return?”

Jack let out a long sigh and nodded. “Yah, you have a point,” he murmured. “Doesn’t make me feel better.”

“I didn’t expect it to,” Gabriel chuckled before he flopped onto Jack’s chest and kissed him again. “You’re stubborn; it’ll take years before you cave and admit that I was right.”

Jack huffed as he rolled slightly to cuddle Gabriel up against his chest. He forewent any sort of sass, holding Gabriel close so that he could feel his heartbeat through his shirt. Gabriel tucked his head happily under Jack’s jaw, sighing happily as he was cuddled.

“I love you,” Gabriel murmured. “You’re really the best, Jack.”

“I love you too,” Jack murmured. “I’ll try to be a better partner.”

“Better?” Gabriel laughed. “Any better and you’d be a saint.”

“That’s a dirty lie, but thank you,” Jack laughed.

He pressed a kiss to Gabriel’s forehead and snuggled closer, curling himself around his smaller boyfriend’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go. Poor Jack; he has so many issues to deal with, but Gabe's there to let him know that he loves him no matter what.


	14. Chapter 14

“Let’s go into town,” Gabriel grinned as Jack finished his morning coffee.

“Why?” Jack eyed him.

Gabriel grinned wider and shrugged a shoulder. “Show me around,” he said. “And, well, I may have gotten us a tour of a nice little apartment that isn’t too expensive.”

“You managed that in a day?” Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I might have mentioned that I came from a family of lawyers,” Gabriel shrugged. “And that my partner served in the army.”

“Devil,” Jack teased as he finished his coffee.

Gabriel nodded in agreement before he skipped off to get his wallet. Jack scribbled a quick note to Sarah about where they were going before he grabbed his wallet and keys. Gabriel followed him down to the truck and Jack waved to his father as he emerged from the barn. John waved back, smirking as Genji stomped towards the house with his shirt covered in milk. Someone hadn’t gotten the milk pail out of the way in time.

Jack did his best not to snicker as he ducked into the truck and turned the engine over. Gabriel smiled as Jack backed out of the driveway and started the drive into town. He seemed to be fascinated by the corn, soya, and canola plants just starting to sprout up in the fields, eyeing them longingly. Jack couldn’t help but smile as he watched out of the corner of his eye.

The ride into Bloomington was quiet and peaceful. Jack didn’t have to lay on his horn for once and people seemed content to not drive like dumbasses and try to start accidents. It was a nice change from the usual driving where he had to have his horn ready to blare at the first sign of someone trying to cut him off in his lane.

Gabriel had his phone out and directed him to the low-rent but nice apartment building. He waffled for a moment about which set of buildings they were supposed to go into before he hopped out of the truck and headed for the one on the far left. Jack followed after locking the truck, looping his arm around Gabriel’s waist. He got a few curious looks from people walking past, but most just smiled and continued on their way.

Jack pushed the doors to the foyer open and Gabriel walked up to the office door to knock. The man that opened the door blinked at Gabriel for a moment before he smiled.

“Oh, you must be Mr. Reyes!” he said excitedly. “So, sorry; I was expecting someone a little older. Regardless, you wanted to see one of our two bedrooms?”

“One bedroom is fine,” Jack said.

“Two is better if we have visitors,” Gabriel smiled. “And they’re a little bit bigger.”

“Ah,” Jack smiled. “Alright; two it is.”

The manager nodded his head before showing them down the hallway. He pushed open the door to an empty apartment and ushered them in. Jack had no idea how to explain what he felt as he stepped inside. Gabriel immediately went towards the kitchen to inspect everything, but Jack felt like he was in a dream.

He wandered into the living room and stared out the huge window. They were overlooking one of the parks that had sprung up around town after people started pushing for more natural architecture to stave off a little of the effects of climate change. He could see people walking their dogs or jogging along the trails. He could see squirrels running across the tree limbs. Birds sang happily from the boughs of trees, completely oblivious to anything around them until something shifted that shouldn’t have shifted.

“Gabe,” he called softly over his shoulder.

“Everything okay?” Gabriel asked as he hurried over. “Jack, you’re crying!”

Jack reached up to brush the tears away, laughing a little breathlessly as he turned towards Gabriel. “Let’s take it,” he whispered.

“You haven’t even seen the whole apartment,” Gabriel teased as he wound their fingers together.

“I don’t have to,” Jack shook his head. “It’s…like coming home.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened before he grinned. “Then we’re definitely fucking taking it!” he laughed. “Go explore the rest of the apartment and I’ll talk to the manager about getting everything set up.”

Jack kissed his nose before he hurried off. He wandered down the hallway to the bedrooms and stepped into the master. He looked around, mentally placing their things in the room. A fond smile spread across his face and he nodded to himself.

Yes. This was the perfect place for them to start over and get their feet back underneath them. Gabriel would flourish out here, Jack had a good support network already in place, and he could actually focus on getting a job that would take his mental disabilities into account. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he did his best not to bounce in excitement on the spot.

This would be the start of his and Gabriel’s new life. He couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Thank you everyone that decided to give this a read. It's been a blast!
> 
> Also a big thank you to Hino for her artwork. It's gorgeous and I love it!

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: This is where the pictures can be found now! https://hinoart.tumblr.com/post/178365523477/my-pieces-for-the-r76-big-bang-2018-first-of


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